Night of Cyclonia
by Keeper of Tomes
Summary: Cyclonia has plans for the Storm Hawks, and as Aerrow and his team are pulled deeper into the vortex of war, he reveals a secret that may very well shatter the foundation on which he built his squadron. BADFIC!warning. Bring cheese and corn repellent.
1. Chapter 1

Night trickled in like black ink across the South Western skies of Atmos. Aerrow glanced casually over his shoulder at Radarr, who was yawning noisily. Aerrow stifled a yawn himself as he rounded the corner towards his room. As he passed Finn's quarters, he heard loud rock music from within and silently rolled his eyes. He finally slid into the comfort of his bedroom, Radarr scampering after him. Aerrow placed his armor onto the little shelf he kept just for that purpose before sliding into the sheets and mulling over the day's happenings.

Piper had intercepted a radio message from a remote Cyclonian outpost to the main command center about a "Package Delivary". Finn swore it was probably just donuts again, and that there was nothing to worry about, but Aerrow wasn't sure. He and Piper decided it could be a code for something worse. Of course, Stork could be relied on the insist it was mindworms and that the Cyclonians were going to infect all of Atmos before sucking out everyone's brains. This had frightened Junko so much he couldn't eat that night, something that rarely happened.

Now, they were heading off towards Cyclonia, with Stork doggedly persuing his mindworms theory. Aerrow had left Piper and Junko to mildly explain that the crew did not need to have a repellent bath. Now, with the stars slowly coming out, Aerrow closed his eyes and prepared for sleep.

He awoke a few hours later to a faint scratching sound. He assumed it was Radarr until he saw his co-pilot curled up and asleep at the foot of his bed. Aerrow grabbed his swords and stood, glancing around the dark room. He slid into the hallway, glancing back and forth. There! A shadow swept across the far wall. Aerrow thought about waking the others, but if it proved to be nothing, then what was the point? He walked down the corridor. Suddenly, a chilling sight met his green eyes.

Two Cyclonian Talons were creeping their way along the hallway. Why hadn't the alarm gone off? Aerrow knew why--Stork was doing some electronical repairs; the alarms were duds! He'd have to take care of it himself. Aerrow slunk after them, and once within striking distance, got ready to attack. He was about to lunge when something hard struck the back of his head. He wheeled around to see three more Talons, and the looks on their faces told him they weren't here to play.

Piper was tossing and turning, her head stinging from having collided with a wall whilst fumbling for her pajamas. She looked at the clock: 10:12. She knew she needed sleep, but her mind wouldn't turn off. She was still busy trying to put together her plan for how to find out what the "Package" was. Suddenly, there was a loud thump. It was coming from outside. Worried, she ran through the door, grabbing her crystal staff on the way. Finn, Junko, and Stork joined her.

"What was that?" Finn moaned groggily. Junko looked like the living dead. Stork was vigilent with his dooms day predictions as the four of them bounded down the hall. Piper suddenly looked around.

"Guys, where's Aerrow?" she asked. They all had an epiphany. Aerrow! They continued down the hall, rounding the corner towards Aerrow's room, when a familier sight greeted their eyes.

"Dark Ace!" Finn shrieked. Piper raised her staff. Stork was under apparent cardiac arrest. Dark Ace was standing in the middle of the hall, smirking at the Storm Hawks minus one. That minus one was clutched in Dark Ace's fist by the nape of his neck.

Aerrow had blacked out soon after seeing the Talons, and when he regained consciousness, he felt as if his neck was being ripped off. He was partially right. He looked up to see Dark Ace's snarling face. Aerrow struggled, but his body wouldn't let him move. A familier blue pulse shimmered off of Dark Ace's sword: Paralyzer Stone. He saw Piper and the others standing a few feet away, their faces twisted with shock.

"Just thought I'd 'Drop In' and grab a package," Dark Ace laughed. Piper let out a gasp. Dark Ace roared with laughter as she leapt forward. He struck her down. Aerrow shouted out as she crumpled. Junko and Finn charged him, but Dark Ace was faster, and with a swipe of his sword the two were sent flying. Stork swooned and fell. Radarr was nowhere to be found. Dark Ace dragged Aerrow along to the hanger bay, dumped him unceremoniously onto his skimmer, and took off. Aerrow watched helplessly as the Condor slowly faded from sight into the dark clouds that hung below. The Talons circled around him and Dark Ace, and Aerrow could do nothing but wonder where the night would take him.

Piper woke to Junko's frantic shaking.

"They've got Aerrow! They've got Aerrow!" Finn was shrieking. "Oh my Atmos, they've got Aerrow!"

"Finn, calm down," Piper reprimanded, though she was hardly in any position to tell him to calm down. She was shaking from head to toe as she stood. In her mind, she was thinking the exact same thing: The Cyclonians have Aerrow. Stork had woken and was sitting on the floor, his eyes twitching. Junko looked ready to explode in tears. Radarr was sitting next to Stork, sharing his expressions. Finn looked almost sane, compared to the others.

Piper headed towards the hanger bay, noticing the fresh tread marks. The moon had already set, and a faint rosy glow was rising in the east. She was still in disbelief as she inspected the skimmers. The tires were slit, the wings cut to pieces. She raced back to the engine room; half their crystal fuel was nowhere to be found. The Cyclonians had ensured themselves a lengthy head start. The first stop would have to be a supply depot.

A few minutes and five paper bags later, Stork was back at the helm. Junko had retreated to his room, and Finn was keeping watch. Piper stood next to Stork, her eyes in the clouds. She hoped Aerrow was alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**HEY GUYS! YES, I AM BACK! Okay, so first, I want to thank SakariWolf, Unleash the Shadow, 3merald Princ3ss, and Quiblezz for liking me...This is for you!**

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Aerrow's head was about ready to explode when he woke up. He was in a tiny cell, stained steel walls enclosing him. A tiny barred window allowed a slit of light into the room. Aerrow turned and realized he was on a cot--if you could call the tiny steel frame with a few potato sacks on it a cot. He stood, his back aching from the horrible accomidations, but knew he was lucky to be alive. He walked to the door, sliding aside the grating to see the hallway outside. Three armed guards. No tunneling out this time, he grimly reminded himself. He still couldn't help but smile, however, at the fumbling Mr. Moss and Zartachler Prison.

This time, he wasn't so fortunate. Aerrow sat down onto the cot, wincing as the springs dug into his legs. He hoped for a rescue, and soon. There were footsteps, then the sharp click of heels. Aerrow braced himself as the steel door opened slowly. A familiar face greeted him.

"You don't know how long I've waited to see you in this situation, Aerrow," Dark Ace snarled. He stepped in, savoring his enemy's look of helplesness.

"You havn't won yet, Dark Ace," Aerrow said. The Dark Ace merely smiled. His had twitched towards the sword strapped to his back, but he resisted. Aerrow wondered why.

"On the contrary, you'll find this victory is absolute. You are powerless. I have the upper hand. Correction: Cyclonia has the upper hand. Soon, you and your friends will pay for every mistake you've made."

"You mean every mistake you and your Talons have made. I seem to recall beating you back to Cyclonia more than once," Aerrow said, smiling. Dark Ace growled, an ugly, menacing sound. Aerrow tried to hide his shaking hands. The Dark Ace reached out and grapped Aerrow's shirt.

"You watch your mouth, Aerrow, or I will be forced to go against Master Cyclonis's wishes--"

"Oh, so it was her who gave you that restraining order," Aerrow said cockily. Dark Ace roared and got ready to punch. Aerrow cringed, when the door slid open.

"Master Cyclonis wants to see the prisoner...sir," the guard said, terrified. Dark Ace glowered at Aerrow, before pulling him off the bed and out the cell. They continued this way out of the dungeons and up into the familiar halls of Master Cyclonis's headquarters. Dark Ace led Aerrow into a dark room before throwing him into a chair. Two Talons leapt into action, tying Aerrow's wrists against the back of the chair and gagging him. Aerrow felt his head bang into the chair as Dark Ace shoved him with his sword. The Talons left the room. The two were alone.

"So, Aerrow. You probably know why we've brought you here," Dark Ace said casually. Aerrow tried to talk, but the gag dug into the corners of his mouth, and all that could be heard were muffled grunts.

"I'm sorry, but I can't hear you," Dark Ace taunted. "You are the reason Master Cyclonis has begun to lose trust in me, but that's not going to happen. I won't let it. And after tonight, once you and your friends have been taken care of, things will be back to normal. Master Cyclonis and I will rule the Atmos, and the Storm Hawks will be lying in a mangled heap in the wastelands, like they were ten years ago."

Aerrow would have gasped.

The door opened. A tall, slim shape walked in. A familiar laugh.

The Master had arrived.

* * *

Piper leaned against the wind. She was standing on the deck of the Condor, Finn and Junko next to her. Radarr was perched on Junko's shoulder. Finn was looking through the peepers Stork had made. The skies were disappointingly clear, however, with no sight of Talons, or Aerrow.

After a hurried stop at the supply depot, the Storm Hawks were rushing to Cyclonia. Stork refused to sleep or even eat, staying at the helm, driving at top speed.

The skies began to darken as the Cyclonian empire loomed. Piper and the others rushed inside.

Stork dove into the Wastelands, nimbly dodging the obstacles. He was silent. No more predictions of doom; this was serious.

"How much further?" Finn sighed. Piper eyed her charts.

"A few more minutes. We'll try the way we went in last time. Stick to the plan, and it'll turn out fine," she said. She was reassuring herself more than anyone. They didn't have Aerrow this time to help distract the Talons. They were on their own. Confidence was something that they had not picked up at the supply depot.

Radarr looked particularly downcast. He was blaming himself; if he had woken up, Aerrow might not be in captivity, and the Storm Hawks wouldn't be in this mess. Piper and Finn's comforting words had not helped. Radarr was worse than Stork.

The Cyclonian terras filled their vison as the Condor approached with stealthy precision. The garbage chute loomed. Piper nodded at Finn and Junko. Stork would stay behind and watch the ship. Piper and the others were going in.

Cyclonis walked slowly towards Aerrow and Dark Ace. She smiled at Aerrow's unsuccessful attemps to talk. Dark Ace flinched as Cyclonis placed a thin hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to leave. He backed towards the door.

"So, Aerrow. We meet again. Different circumstances, I'm sure, but drastic times call for drastic measures," Cyclonis hissed. She reached behind Aerrow's head and undid the gag. Aerrow spit it out.

"What is the point of keeping me here? My squadron will bust me out, you can count on it!" he said, as soon as the gag was gone. Cyclonis laughed.

"As a matter of fact, Sky Knight, that's exactly what I'm counting on."

"What?" Aerrow asked.

"When your friends arrive, they'll be in for some nasty surprises with their names on them. And once I have your friends, I will have you."

"It's a trap!" Aerrow realized.

"The brave Sky Knight finally figures something out. Enjoy these few hours, Aerrow. They will be your last," Cyclonis laughed. She walked outside and joined the Dark Ace.

"Master, explain to me why we're doing this again," he spluttered as soon as she appeared.

"Have patience, Dark Ace. We will force Aerrow to make a choice. If I know him well enough, and I think I do, then he will choose his death over that of his friend's. With Aerrow out of the picture, the Storm Hawks will be easy pickings for you and our Talons. Don't worry about Aerrow's demise. You will have the honors." With that, Master Cyclonis disappeared down the hall, leaving Dark Ace with a satisfied smirk on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Unleash the Shadow, this is for you...**

* * *

Piper fumbled with the lock pick as Finn annoyingly tapped his foot. Junko was glancing around worriedly. Piper finally heard the long awaited click from within. The little group climbed up into the empty hallway. Finn handed Piper her crystal staff before grabbing his cross bow and clambering after her. After helping Junko squeeze through the hatch, they rushed along.

"They'll be keeping him in the dungeons," she explained as they ran. Junko led the way. He'd be able to ward off any blows easily. Finn kept his cross bow raised.

"Dude, this place is creeping me out," he remarked. Piper shot him a glare.

"Halt!" Two guards appeared in front of them. Junko roared, but before he could charge them down, Piper rushed forward and knocked them out with a neat blow. She charged on.

"Is it just me, or is she really peeved?" Finn said, racing after her.

Meanwhile, on the Condor, Stork was ranting to Radarr.

"I can't believe it! Aerrow...gone...We're as good as dead," he said solemnly. Radarr nodded sympathetically. "I couldn't tell anyone else, because it wouldn't be right, man, but I miss Aerrow. We need him back. It's like having a mindworm repellent without a tin hat...just doesn't work." Radarr raised his eyebrows skeptically. Stork sighed. "I hope the others are doing better then I am," he moaned.

"I must have fallen asleep," Aerrow muttered to himself as he opened his eyes. The darkness around him offered no comfort. Aerrow's blaring red hair drooped sadly over his face. Outside rang footsteps. He fumbled with his wrists, but they were bound tight. He sighed. He was scared, bored, and missed his friends. For some reason Piper's face popped into his head first. He shook his head, confused.

His stomach growled. Aerrow struggled to remember when the last time he ate was. The door opened as two Talons walked in. The light stung Aerrow's eyes.

"We're here to take you to the Master, so move," one of them said. Here was his chance. As soon as his wrists were undone, Aerrow sprang into action. He swung his fist into the guards jaw, then bound out of the chair and charged down the other one. Aerrow sped out the open door. Two more guards saw him. Aerrow ran.

He rounded the corner and was almost home free when a chilling voice stopped him dead.

"Going somewhere, Aerrow?"

The Dark Ace walked slowly towards him, his sword fizzing with red electricity. Aerrow gulped.

"By the way, the restraining order's off," the Dark Ace snarled, before slicing through the air with his sword. The blast hit Aerrow full in the face, sending him sprawling. Blood trickled out of his mouth. The guards finally caught up and dragged him up.

"I was coming to inform you that Master Cyclonis was considering sending you back to the cell for your lunch break, but since you are not cooperating, she'll have to take that back."

Aerrow was about to answer when the alarms went off. Shouts rang out of "Intruder!" Aerrow gasped.

"Looks like the party's about to begin," Dark Ace said, smiling.

Piper was leading now. She was frustrated with herself for not being able to move any faster. Aerrow could be seriously hurt by now. She looked back to make sure Finn and Junko were following. Suddenly, more guards. Piper ran towards them. They were smiling. She stopped as one of them took out a little box with a big red button on it. She moaned as he pressed down.

The alarms blared. "Run for it!" Piper shrieked at the others. Finn and Junko needed no further encouragement. They sped down the corridor. The hatch was in sight when bars descended from the ceiling. They turned, only to see more bars. Talons approached from both sides. The ceiling above them opened to reveal a giant tube.

"De Ja Vu, anyone?" Finn moaned, before they were sucked into the darkness above.

Aerrow was back in the dark room, this time with his legs bound as well. Dark Ace hovered over him.

"Your friends have been found," he said. "It won't be long now."

"Until what?" Aerrow snapped. The Dark Ace merely smirked in his direction. The door opened once more.

"The Master is calling," the Talon said slowly.

"Then it's time we answered," Dark Ace said.


	4. Chapter 4

**I must be crazy to upload this many chapters in one day...but I have like, 12 written, so it can't hurt, can it? **

**This is to everyone who loves this story! And I will try to restrain myself from putting any more up today...**

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The Dark Ace was anxious as he led Aerrow towards Master Cyclonis's chamber. He smiled as the door opened, Cyclonis at her work station as usual. She turned, a particularly menacing look on her face. Aerrow was tossed onto the floor. He groaned as he fell, too tired to do anything else. Cyclonis walked over, her staff in her hands.

Aerrow's body felt like it was on fire as Master Cyclonis pressed a glowing red crystal against his shoulder. He cried out in pain. She kicked him hard, and he flipped over, his sides heaving. She pressed the crystal to him again, this time with more pressure. Aerrow's lungs constricted as pain took over all his senses. He writhed on the floor, his eyes squinted shut in an effort to shut out the laughing faces of Cyclonis and Dark Ace, but ears still heard them. He also heard his own screams.

"How does it feel to be on the sharp end of the knife now, Aerrow?" Dark Ace snarled. Aerrow tried to pull himself up, but the Dark Ace kicked him back down. There was a clanging from above as the roof slid open. A tube descended from above as the rest of the Storm Hawks tumbled through, except for Stork and Radarr. Aerrow gasped.

Piper, Finn, and Junko pulled themselves up and gasped at the sight that greeted them. Aerrow was cringing on the floor, Cyclonis and Dark Ace surrounding him. Aerrow didn't look that good.

Before the Storm Hawks could react, a giant glass chamber descended and trapped them where they were. They pounded on the walls, their voices muffled. The doors opened, as two Talons walked in, shoving a green Merb and a small Sky Monkey ahead of them. They were tossed into the chamber as well.

"You guys got caught too?" Finn asked.

"What tipped ya off?" Stork moaned. Radarr chirped anxiously as Dark Ace pulled Aerrow up from the ground and tossed him into another chair. Cyclonis walked forward, tapping her staff against the floor.

"So, Aerrow, you see your friends?"

Aerrow moaned.

"What did you say?" she said, and blasted him again. He felt his head get snapped back as the electric shock coursed through his body. The blast subsided. Aerrow caught his breath and eyed his friends, who were pounding the walls of their prison vigorously.

"Let them go..." he panted. "I'll do anything..."

"Anything?" Cyclonis hissed. "Even bow to Cyclonia? Lay down your life to ME, and I will spare your friends."

"NO!" Piper shrieked. "Aerrow, don't do it! We'll be fine!"

"Man, what're you doin'?!" Finn howled. Radarr was frantically scratching at the glass. Aerrow twisted his eyes to look at Master Cyclonis and Dark Ace's faces, before looking back at his friends.

"Sorry guys," he muttered, before nodding at Cyclonis. She laughed her wicked laugh and walked over to her podium. Slipping on a pair of ink black gloves, she lifted a dark blue crystal from the workstand.

"Dark Ace? Do you know what this is?" she asked. He looked at her blankly. "A creation of mine, borrowed from legend," she hissed into Aerrow's ear. The redhead shuddered as her finger traced his neck.

"It's called a Night Crystal," Cyclonis continued. "Kills with one blow." Piper gasped before hurling herself against the wall.

"Aerrow, no!" Junko howled. Stork's eyes were bugging out of his head. Dark Ace smiled before reaching out and gingerly picking up the stone.

"So, one blast?" he said softly, looking into Aerrow's bright green eyes with hatred. Aerrow grimaced.

"There's more...the Night Crystal works slowly. Aerrow will die a slow, agonizing death...in front of his friends."

"You said you'll let them go!" Aerrow shouted in disbelief.

"They will be freed in good time," Cyclonis said with a wave of her hand. "Take care of it, Dark Ace. When I return, I expect it to be over." Dark Ace nodded and turned back to Aerrow with a menacing grin. He lifted Aerrow up by his collar.

"Any last words, Aerrow?"

"Just...a few...," Aerrow panted.

"And?"

"Down...with...Cyclonia!" Aerrow gasped. Dark Ace roared in anger and tossed Aerrow to the ground. He clamped the stone into the bracket on his sword and let the black charge envelop the blade. He lifted the sword, and fired.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, this is proof I am loco... but whatever. Enjoy!**

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_Ten Years Ago...on the Condor._

"Ace?"

"What?"

"Time to go..."

Ace stood, slipping on a pair of brown gloves. Another day. The Condor creaked as he walked down the hall towards the hanger bay, his Storm Hawk uniform rippling. Zelia was busy loading up the weapons on the skimmers. Next to her stood Ace's commanding officer and co-pilot, Aerron. His bright red hair ruffled in the breeze that came in through the open door. Ace got ready to board the skimmer.

"How ya doing, buddy?" Aerron asked.

"Fine," Ace answered, preoccupied with wiping the windshield. "Just a normal recon mission, right?"

"Right. And some more scouting on the border. Cyclonian troopers are attacking merchant ships. We also need to contact a few other terras for The Plan."

"And how is...you know...The Plan?" Ace asked, hushed.

Aerron scratched the back of his neck, his eyes lowered. Ace knew better than to push it.

For over a year now, Cyclonia had slowly started to gain more and more power. The Storm Hawks and several other Sky Nights, along with their squadrons, were planning a great assault, to bring down Cyclonia once and for all. It was easier said than done. Squadrons were hesitant, as they should be. Master Cyclonis was a fierce and powerful king, and his Talons were talented beyond belief. Attacking the terra of Cyclonia required only the best. Aerron and his squadron were working hard late into the night; Zelia, the map maker, Tempest, the carrier pilot, Zion, the sharpshooter, and of course, Ace, the wingman, all instrumental in this attack.

The Storm Hawks took off into a blue sky, Ace driving while Aerron stood in the back, scanning the horizon. Tempest would stay behind and drive the Condor.

As the squadron progressed, the skies darkened. Storm warnings flashed across the radios. Zion, always the cautious one, suggested they turn back. Aerron frowned and kept going. Ace maneuvered the craft around the small terras that dotted this part of Atmos, his skill in flying evident. Aerron patted him on the back. Ace beamed.

The winds rose up as the skimmers finally were forced to land on a remote terra. The storm was rising. Aerron radioed Tempest to land; they'd rejoin him in the morning.

Night passed with howling wind and fierce rains as the storm tore across the sky. The Storm Hawks bundled together, eating the little supplies they had brought along.

Ace loved it here; the Storm Hawks was the only family he'd ever known. His father had died a long time ago, his mother had abandoned him at a young age. Growing up alone had given him a nasty edge, but Aerron and the others had accepted him easily into the group.

Aerron was passing around a small piece of paper as the wind battered the tent. Ace held the slip and looked at the contents. A pretty, blonde woman was holding a small, red-headed baby with piercing green eyes. Aerron was beaming. Ace smiled as he handed it back to his friend.

"What's his name?" Zelia asked.

"Aerrow," Aerron answered. "Mix of mine and Swallow's names. I haven't met him yet, but maybe we'll stop by Atmosia, if we have the time," he said wistfully. Ace nodded. The storm blew over, and when the friends awoke, the skies were blue again, as if the tempest had never roared by. They reboarded their battered skimmers and headed back.

A few minutes passed into the ride, when Zion shouted out. "We've got a Talon squadron! On our tail!" Aerron smiled at Ace, who smiled back.

"Storm Hawks, prepare for battle!" he shouted. He pulled out his double bladed sword. Blue flashed across it. Ace had no weapons, and would have to rely on Aerron to keep him safe. The Talons dove at them. Zelia flipped her craft upside down and slashed at them with her staff. Zion fired a few well aimed shots from his bow. Aerron bided his time. A Talon took aim for Ace. His shot was about to strike home when Aerron lunged forward and deflected it.

"You okay?" he asked. Ace nodded hurriedly before piloting the skimmer back at the Talon. Aerron leapt from his craft and onto the other one, stabbing the engine. The Talon screamed as he fell, a parachute deploying moments later. Ace dove underneath the falling Aerron and flew up again. The fight raged for another hour, until a daring Talon swooped over Ace's craft and fired. Before Aerron could react, Ace was blasted from the skimmer and plummeted towards the rocky terra below.

"Ace, NO!" Zelia shouted. Aerron leapt into the seat and streamed down to save his friend. For some reason, Ace's parachute was not deploying. His eyes widened as the ground got closer and closer. Suddenly, a Talon craft swooped down and caught him.

"Gotcha!" he growled, and flew off. Ace squirmed, but the Talon was stronger and held fast. The Storm Hawks were left behind.

The blonde Talon landed with Ace on a dusty terra and tossed him down.

"Talk. What are your plans?" he snarled.

"I won't tell you anything, Cyconian trash," Ace growled.

"You're a pretty good flyer. Why weren't you fighting?"

"I don't fight. I pilot the craft," Ace said.

"So you're a Storm Hawk slave?" the Talon taunted.

"No. I am as much a part of the team as anyone," Ace argued.

"Well, buddy, I got news for you. Aerron and his stooges are using you, pal. All you do is pilot a stupid skimmer. Aerron gets all the glory, huh? You don't even get a weapon."

"If I asked, they'd give me one!" Ace said.

"Ha ha, you're so naive," the Talon laughed. Ace cringed; his breath smelled like old porridge. "You could be famous as a Talon, you know. With your amazing skills, you could help Master Cyclonis take over the world, if you wanted. Think about it," he said, before jumping on his skimmer and flying away. Ace mulled over his words. When the Storm Hawks arrived a few minutes later, he was quiet. He was thinking.


	6. Chapter 6

Aerrow felt as if his body had been torn into a thousand pieces as the black charge enveloped him. It hit him square in the chest, his bones cracking from the blast. He thought he heard Piper shriek before blacking out.

He started to dream.

It was night. The stars were out. He was standing aboard the Condor's balcony, but the Condor looked different. It was newer, cleaner, faster. The Condor of Aerrow's father. Speaking of which, there stood Aerron, his head to the wind. Aerrow tried to speak, but something stopped the sound from coming out. A door opened, and out walked another familer face.

Dark Ace.

He was younger, cleaner, his eyes still innocently blue, the red not yet there. Aerron clapped his friend on the back.

"You okay, Ace? What happened on that terra?"

"He threatened me. Told me to reveal our plans...but I kept my mouth shut." Ace looked out into the stars as well. Aerrow assumed Ace had been captured. Ace kept on talking. "He said...I was just a servant, since I don't have any weapons. I was just a slave, just a pilot, that I didn't mean anything to you guys," Ace muttered. Aerron looked shocked.

"Ace, do you seriously believe that? You're my best friend. Nothing's gonna change that. You want a weapon, we have weapons. You're welcome to any of them, if it makes you feel better. But don't think you're worthless, okay? I don't know where I'd be without you...probably lying dead in the wastelands."

"Aerron, don't say that!" Ace gasped. Aerron laughed.

"C'mon, full speed to Cyclonia, then to Atmosia. I have a son to visit."

The two disappeared into the Condor. Aerrow collapsed onto the deck. The horror of it was he knew how this story ended. There was not going to be any trip to Atmosia.

Piper's eyes welled up with tears as Aerrow was blasted against the wall. Blood trickled out from the hole in his shirt. The Dark Ace chuckled. He turned and left the room, leaving Aerrow in a bloody pool.

Finn and Junko were crying like babies. Stork just stood there. Piper sobbed quietly to herself. Aerrow was going to die.

The door opened as Master Cyclonis appeared, two Talon guards by her side. She clapped her hands. The glass vault lifted. The Storm Hawks tried to rush to their commander, but the Talons stopped them.

"Aerrow's body is mine. The Talons will escort you to your skimmers. Have a nice trip, Storm Hawks," she said, smiling. Piper and the others were led away. She looked back one last time at Aerrow's twisted body, and thought she saw him wink. No, she told herself. He's dead. You're imagining things. Aerrow's gone.

Aerrow came to as Piper and the others were led away. He tried to wink at her as she left. She must not have seen. But at least the others were free. They could find other squadrons. Master Cyclonis strode over. She turned as the door opened, and Dark Ace walked in.

"Watch him. He's not dead yet, and until he is, I want your eyes on him." Dark Ace nodded as she left. He kicked Aerrow once in the gut before sitting down in the small chair.

"Ever meet your father, Aerrow?" Dark Ace said suddenly, his voice full of hate. Aerrow grimaced. "He was a brave man. Stupid, but brave. Stupid to think that I would never see past his lies. He told me I was his friend, and then he betrayed me. Left me on that forsaken terra to die. It was Zelia who saved me, the map maker of the squadron. She encouraged him to go back and save me. But she was also a Storm Hawk, and all the Storm Hawks deserved to die.

"So when we went against the Cyclonians, I radiod their command and told them I was going to ensure their victory. And I did. As your father led that charge, and it was quite a charge, I stole his sword. I had a weapon now. I'll never forget his screams as I slit his throat." Dark Ace laughed. Aerrow shook his head.

"After the Talons and I massacred the entire squadron, we flew to Atmosia. Your mother was a beauty. Reddest lips I'd ever seen. They got redder when I cut her open. YOU, however, were nowhere to be found. Guess some maid smuggled you off somewhere. Even back then, you ran from me."

Aerrow felt tears welling up inside him. The deaths of his parents was something he'd never gotten over, but until now, he'd never realized the Dark Ace had killed them both. Rumors had always drifted across the skies that the Dark Ace and Aerrow's dad had once been friends. Aerrow hadn't believed it...until now.

The Dark Ace seemed to fall asleep; his eyes closed and he was still. Aerrow lay there, too pained to move, while thinking of his friends.

He remembered Finn landing crotch first on Junko's craft and smiled.

He remembered Junko drinking Yorka juice from the dump and grimaced.

He remembered Stork's paranoid guiding in the Black Gorge and grinned.

He remembered Radarr, saving his life more than once.

But for some reason he couldn't quite figure out, he thought of Piper the most. Her face, her hair, her smiles...he wished he could see her just one more time before dying. So that was why he thought he was dreaming when she charged in with the others.


	7. Chapter 7

Piper and the others were forced down the hall. Her brain was whirring like clockwork. They had to go back for Aerrow. There might still be hope for him. She looked at the guards; they were big and burly. She smiled.

"Hey, don't smile at us like that," one of them said.

"Oh, I'm not smiling at you," she said, before swinging her foot and knocking them out. The others looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're insane, right?" Finn said.

"Maybe, but we have to get Aerrow!" she said, running off. The others shrugged and raced after her. Stork called ahead.

"Piper, I want Aerrow back too, but we need to be careful! We need a plan!"

"Forget about the plan!" she barked.

"She must be really worried if she wants to forget about the plan," Junko remarked.

They sped down the hall and found the chamber. Looking in, the Dark Ace was sitting in a chair next to Aerrow. He was looking around, his eyes sharp. Piper ran back and grabbed one of the guard's staffs. She raced back to the chamber, panting.

"Ready?" she mouthed. The nodded. She charged in. The Dark Ace stood and got ready to blast her, when she bounded into the air and rushed him down. He collapsed. Junko took care of him with a few neat punches. His limp body slumped against the wall.

"Finn, grab the Night Crystal. Junko, take Aerrow." Piper kneeled next to her commander's form and nudged him. "Aerrow?" His eyelids flickered. "He's alive!" she declared. Junko tenderly lifted him, and the Storm Hawks ran for it.

Talons leapt from everywhere as the alarms blared. Piper fought with a vigor none of the others had ever seen. Her fists slashed through the air. The staff she held swiped five Talons at once into the wall. The hatch was right there. Junko, holding Aerrow, leapt down first, then Finn, then Stork. Piper and Radarr disappeared as Talons swarmed.

"Stork! Hit it!" Piper shrieked as they landed in the Condor. Stork required no further encouragement. The Condor streaked out of the chute and into the Wastelands below. Cyclonian skimmers streaked alongside them, and Junko and Finn jumped over to the cannons. The noise from the blasting jarred Aerrow awake. Piper was there, pressing a hand to his forehead. He burned hotter than the lava below.

Stork was laughing maniacally, dodging the giant rocks that threatned to crush the Condor into a metal pancake. The skimmers didn't stand a chance. After a few minutes of well-aimed blasts, they retreated. Junko returned, worried, and helped move Aerrow to his quarters. He moaned as they set him down into the familiar sheets of his own bed. Junko and Finn left after a few worried glances to radio for help. Stork was busy pulling out of their near-death flight.

Piper sat next to Aerrow with a wet cloth for a few minutes to see if he was going to wake up again. Finally his eyes opened.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Horrible," he admitted before closing his eyes again. His chest was still bleeding. Piper gave it a worried glance before leaving and grabbing Finn from the helm.

"Finn, where'd you put the Night Crystal?"

"Here," he said, handing it over to her. "Kept it safe. Why do you need it?"

"We need a way to counter its effects," she explained. "But we need help. Finn, radio Starling."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall to the radio room. Piper took the crystal back to her room and pondered. It was a blue black color, unlike anything she'd ever seen in her entire crystal collection. Piper consulted every book she had. No sign. She returned to Aerrow's room and found him asleep, his eyes twitching. He was obviously in pain. She wondered what he could be dreaming.

Piper moved to the helm to watch Stork. He noticed her slightly crazed look.

"Piper? You all right?" he asked, his eyes on the sky. They were slowly pulling out of the Wasteland. Piper shook her head and held up the Night Crystal.

"I have no idea what this is! If I don't figure something out soon, Aerrow's a goner, and without him, how can we be the Storm Hawks anymore?"

Stork looked at her strangely. "Did Cyclonis call that a...um, a Night Crystal?"

"Yeah," Piper sighed. "Why?"

"She said it came from legend, right?"

"Stork, where are you going with this?"

"Well--"

Finn charged in, panting. "StarlingsaidshewouldgethereasfastaspossibleandtomeetheroverTerraAtmosia..."

"Finn, slow down, man, you're going to give me a mind eruption!" Stork said.

"Starling said she would get here as fast as possible, and to meet her over Terra Atomosia," Finn repeated.

"That's better. Alright, to Terra Atmosia!" Piper said urgently. Stork hit the accelerator and zipped up into the clouds.


	8. Chapter 8

Dark Ace was in trouble and he knew it. Master Cyclonis did not look pleased. She stood at her podium, her eyes angry, like a brewing storm.

"Dark Ace, what did I tell you to do?"

"To watch Aerrow, Master."

"And you failed, didn't you?"

Dark Ace began to find the floor tiles extremely interesting. Cyclonis suddenly smiled.

"No matter," she said. "Aerrow will die anyway. There is no counter for the Night Crystal. You insured there would not be. Although his body would have made a nice trophy," she remarked wistfully. "You are forgiven, Dark Ace. I will stay by my father's wishes."

Dark Ace nodded and took her silence as a dismissal. He left the room. Once outside, he let out a breath. He started for the hanger bay, his mind wandering to when he had first met Cyclonis.

After the defeat of the Storm Hawks, Dark Ace, then still known as Ace, was taken to see the Master himself. The old Master Cyclonis was still alive back then, and he wanted to meet the young boy who had singlehandedly defeated the renowned Storm Hawk squadron. Dark Ace remembered the cold, dark feeling of the hallway he was led down. He was still in his Storm Hawk uniform, but his expression was one of hatred, one that no longer carried the innocence it once had. He was a killer now.

The Master was tall, burly, and had deep eyes like his daughter, who was then barely 6. Dark Ace was a good ten years older. He remembered seeing her, crouching behind her father's throne.

"So this is the lad who took down the Storm Hawks?" Master Cyclonis had thundered in disbelief. The Talons had nodded. "Hmph. Bit short to be a Talon, aren't you...um..."

"Ace, master." Ace had bowed low, his hand clutched to his chest.

"Ace, huh? And do you think you can be a Talon? Do you want to serve me?"

"With all my heart, sir."

"Good. Get the boy a fresh set of clothing. Oh, and Ace, such a common name. How about something darker?"

"Well--"

"Dark Ace? What do you think of that, my man?"

"Perfect, sir," Dark Ace had mumbled. He didn't particularly like it, but it would have to do.

"Good. See you soon."

The newly dubbed Dark Ace had turned, but not without catching the eyes of the little girl behind the king's throne. Her dark stare haunted him. But the Master respected him, had even called him a man. He would have never gotten this treatment with the Storm Hawks...would he?

Dark Ace had watched Master Cyclonis's daughter, then known as Cyl, grow up. As he advanced through the ranks in steady service, he and her became close friends, something no one had expected. The girl was a quiet, shy thing, but she had an inner fury like her father. She endured endless training, for since she had no brothers, if her father died, the throne would be hers.

Then, a few days before Cyl's 13th birthday, her father, out on a ride with his Talons, fell off his craft into the Wastelands below. Suddenly, the girl was ruler of an empire. Dark Ace became her sole confidant. The two grew closer. Dark Ace often thought of her as a sister when alone. He would die for her, and not just because she was his master.

The red skies that circled above him loomed as the Dark Ace leapt on his skimmer and took off towards the borders. He had business to attend to.

Master Cyclonis turned back to her workstation and started to work the claws that carried her precious stones. She thought of Dark Ace and how vigilant he was being. She remembered how comforting he had been when her father died. Yet he was so fierce in battle. She looked up to him, strangely enough, even though she was his master. His respect for her was unique, she knew. She respected him back, as a brother, a friend. She listened for his skimmer taking off and heard the familier whirr. Her fingers danced across her keyboard, but she felt bored. The crystals lay dim as she turned.

He never called her Cyl anymore, not since she had inherited the empire. She missed those days. Her feet wandered to the door and she exited with dark thoughts stirring in her mind. As she walked through the palace, guards bowed, but she ignored them. She stopped walking.

Ravess and Snipe should be called, she told herself. She beckoned a guard over and told him to find them. They would be given one last chance to redeem themselves against the Storm Hawks. If they failed, then, and only then, would she endanger Dark Ace.

Cyclonis walked to the hanger bay, her eyes on the stars that leaked through the red sky. Dark Ace's skimmer was nowhere to be seen. Cyclonis shrugged off her feelings and returned to her workstation.


	9. Chapter 9

"Stork, what was that you were saying about the Night Crystal?" Piper asked that night at dinner.

"Well," Stork began, wolfing down his Merb cabbage. "I have a book on legendary deadly crystals. The Night Crystal is, like, number one. It works by slowly destroying the body, inside out," he said with a twitch.

"Any cure?" Finn asked, worried

"There is...one..." Stork began, but trailed off. "No, impossible."

"Stork, what is it? We have to try!" Piper said.

"Well, if a blood member of the victim's family gives blood, and the blood is combined with the red center of the Night Crystal, and that is combined with the blood of a true love, then supposedly, emphasis on the supposedly, the victim will be restored to full health." Stork shook his head. "No surviving members of Aerrow's family, and unless I'm stupid, he doesn't have a true love either."

_Actually, I think he does,_ Piper thought. She turned away so that her friends could not see her tears welling up. "Excuse me," she said quickly, and left the room. Finn looked up.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked. The others shrugged, but Radarr had a hunch.

Piper ran to Aerrow's room and opened the door. Inside, he lay there, asleep again. They had taken off his shirt in order to dress the wound, which was getting worse. The blood loss was heavy. The poison was slowly working its deadly magic. Bit by bit, Aerrow's strength was being sapped. Piper sat next to him, pressing a wet towel to his head and whispering that he would be okay.

"Aerrow, be strong, okay? Be strong for the others, for the Storm Hawks, for Atmos," she whispered. After a little while she bent down and said quietly, "Be strong for me."

Stork leafed through the book on crystals, searching for another way to get Aerrow a cure. Suddenly, the auto-pilot light beeped. Stork walked over to the window and looked out. Down below was Terra Atmosia, and zipping towards them on her purple convertable was Starling. Stork turned off the alarms as she landed, then quickly flipped them back on.

The Storm Hawks went down to meet her, but the greeting was tight. She gave them a firm nod before talking.

"What do we need?"

Stork told her the only possible cure. She stood there, her expression getting worse and worse. Finally she spoke again.

"Can I see him?"

Piper led the way to Aerrow's quarters. She walked in and saw Radarr, sitting at the foot of Aerrow's bed, chirping sadly. Starling sat down and looked at him. He was pale and sweaty.

"So did you find anything out?" Piper asked her as they left.

"I asked around. A few peope told me that the Night Crystal gives you from a month to only a couple of days, depending on the strength of the crystal itself. May I see it?" Piper took it out from her pocket. Starling looked it over. "This is a medium one, so I'd only give him a week."

"A week? That's it?" Piper gasped. Starling nodded solemnly.

"You're certain that there are no living relatives?" Starling said, her voice wavering slightly.

"Well, not that we know of...I mean, both of his parents are dead, and no siblings," Piper said.

"Aunts? Uncles?" Starling asked. The Storm Hawks just shrugged. Starling turned away and faced the sky. The sun had set. Night was claiming the skies with her soothing power once again. Starling turned to the Storm Hawks.

"Well, we can't let him die...not like this. We'll take turns watching him."

"I'll go first," Piper volunteered. Starling looked at her.

"You sure? You look a little tired," Starling remarked. Piper looked at her with her orange eyes to signify she was fine. Starling nodded.

Piper walked to Aerrow's quarters and continued to wash his forehead and wait. She fell asleep a while later. She awoke to the door opening.

"Hey, Piper?" Finn said.

"Yeah?"

"Someone else should take over. No offense, but man, do you look tired," Finn said. Piper nodded slowly and walked out. Finn walked into the room. Piper went back to her own quarters and collapsed onto the bed. She tried to sleep, but she was haunted by dreams: Aerrow dying, the Dark Ace killing every single Sky Knight they knew, all their friends dead and gone, the entire Atmos a wasteland...

Piper awoke after another barrage of her nightmares and looked at the clock. It read 1:21. She got up and walked back to Aerrow's room. Junko was sitting there, yawning. Piper touched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Junko? My turn?"

"Sure," he murmered before lumbering out the door. Piper sat beside Aerrow and satisfied herself with just looking at his face. He winced in his sleep. Piper gripped his calloused hand and squeezed it with her own. The wincing subsided. Now he was still.

Piper wasn't certain how long she sat beside Aerrow, but it was far into the morning. Several times the others came in to volunteer their services, but she politely declined. Finally, as dawn broke, so did Aerrow's sleep, and his eyes slowly opened.

"Hey," Piper said, her throat dry.

"Hey," he said, straining to sit up.

"Don't push it," Piper said, and leaned over to help ease him back down. It took a moment before they realized how close their faces were. Piper pulled back, blushing horribly. Aerrow collapsed again and was glad for once that he had a fever, lest Piper realize the red stain on his face was from embarassment.

"Feeling any better?" she asked after an awkward silence.

"Hungry," he admitted. Piper leapt up and ran to the kitchen. She came back a minute later with a bowl of hot soup.

"Here," she said. She held out the spoon, laden with vegatables and watery soup. He reached out to grab the bowl, but a cry of pain escaped him and he fell back. Piper set the bowl down, worried. Aerrow was clutching his side, moaning in pain.

"Maybe the soup can wait," Aerrow murmured.

"Yeah," Piper said, worried. She placed her hand on his chest to softly ease the pain. Aerrow let himself lean back and calmed himself. The pain slowly disappeared. Piper clutched his hand and looked into his eyes.

"Hey," he said. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Forget it, I'm calling the others." She stood and started out.

"Wait!" Aerrow reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stopped. "Stay a little while, please?" Piper sat down again. She picked up the cloth, which was no longer cool or wet. Aerrow smiled weakly at her. His red hair stood out shockingly like blood against the white sheets. Piper ran her fingers through it. Aerrow's eyes closed softly. HIs breathing became more and more forced. Time was running out.


	10. Chapter 10

**I love you too much. Plus I am way to gullible... so here are the latest chapters, and whatever you say, I can't write that fast. Gimme a week. **

* * *

Starling ran through the hallways to Aerrow's room and found him and Piper talking quietly.

"Aerrow?"

"Starling! You're here! You're here?" he said in disbelief. He hurriedly pulled the covers over his bare chest. Starling smirked.

"Yes, apparently, I am. I need to ask you some important questions," Starling said kindly. She sat down in another chair next to Piper. "Do you have any living relatives at all? It's imperative if we're to find a cure, you need to understand that. We need blood from a family member."

Aerrow furrowed his brow in concentration. "Well..."

"Well?"

"No."

Starling cursed beautifully before staring at Piper sadly.

"Why do you need blood from a family member?"

Starling explained the matter. Aerrow sighed vigorously. Piper's deep, orange eyes lit up.

"The Sky Knight counsel! Why didn't I think of it before? They take written records of the families of Sky Knights!" she exclaimed. Aerrow broke into a smile before coughing fiercely. Blood splattered out from his mouth. He fell back into the sheets again. Piper sped over and felt his throat. Red was trickling from the corner of his mouth and onto the white sheets below. Starling had an appalled look on her face. Aerrow moaned softly. His eyes slammed shut with no apparent sign of opening.

"We'd better hurry," Piper said. She called the others. Stork and Radarr would stay behind and watch Aerrow and the Condor. Everyone else was going to see the counsel.

Starling led the way as the little group charged past startled citizens and into the musty halls of the Sky Knight Counsel. The registrar looked up sleepily.

"Aren't you...the Storm Hawks?" he asked.

"Yes," Junko panted.

"But where is your commanding officer? Aerrow, wasn't it?"

Piper summed up the situation as best she could without bursting into tears. The registrar looked shocked.

"I'll do anything to help." He pulled up a humongous volume from the depths of his desk. "These are the family records. Aerrow is towards the back, his father towards the front. Take as much time as is necessary."

The Storm Hawks thanked him before bunching up on the floor. They flipped to Aerrow first. He had signed with a determined scrawl across the paper.

"Father, Sky Knight Aerron, deceased, mother Swallow, deceased, siblings, none...wait! Here, an uncle...but no listed name."

"Let's try Aerron," Starling said, flipping towards the front. The pages were yellower and the ink faded.

"There!" Finn's sharp eyes spotted the faint writing that spelled out Aerron's signature. The handwriting was uncannily similar to Aerrow's: same rushed writing, same forceful pressing down on the nib. Junko put on a pair of circular glasses and leaned in.

"Aerron's father was Sky Knight Odin, mother, Dearia, siblings...one! A brother!" Junko exclaimed. "Tempest. Weird name, isn't it?"

"Wait! I've heard that name before, Tempest...wasn't he the old Condor pilot?" Piper said. "If he's related to Aerron, then he should still be on Atmosia--"

"But the Storm Hawks were all killed!" Junko said. "Right?"

Starling shook her head. "No, only Aerron, his map maker Zelia, and sharpshooter Zion. Tempest must have survived if the registrar didn't change his status."

"Man, all these names are givin me a head-ACHE!" Finn bawled. Everyone glared at him. Starling went on.

"Piper's right, I doubt Tempest has left Atmosia. Let's ask the registrar."

The Storm Hawks stood and walked over to the squat man at the desk and handed him the book. He nodded at them.

"Find anything?"

"Just one relative...Tempest?" Starling said. The registrar sighed.

"A sad tale indeed. The sole survivor of the original Storm Hawks...of course, Dark Ace does not count. Lives on the outskirts of the city. Went mad, they say. Reason why I suppose Aerron entrusted his son to someone else." The registrar took of his glasses and set the book down. "I'll give you the address."


	11. Chapter 11

**This is for Azaria-Lady of Dreams. She gave me the kiss idea with her great writing. This is to you, Azaria! Thanks for everything...**

* * *

Dark Ace's footsteps echoed across the empty hallway as he walked back to his own bedroom. He had returned from the simple recon mission with success. News of Aerrow's demise had not yet spread, but it would. He and his Talons had implanted the rumor. Soon, all of Atmos would be at the mercy of the Cyclonians.

Dark Ace navigated the dim hallways with familier ease. He finally reached a dark door. It opened to his touch, sliding aside. It closed as he walked into the dimly lit chamber. A dark light bounced off the walls, casting an eerie glow.

The bed was small and neat. For some reason Dark Ace had never gotten over the small cots that he had slept in aboard the Condor. He took off his head gear and chest armor before sitting silently on his bed and pondering.

Aerrow was dead.

For some reason he still didn't believe it. He had done it, yet his hands had shaken afterwards. Just like they had after he had killed Aerron, too. They had never done that, ever. It was always, No Mercy. Ever. He had become a different man when he gripped that sword. A different person. Killing was as much a part of him as anything. No mercy. Yet why did he feel...was it regret?

The night was young, but he was tired. Not tired like after a fight, or after five hours of greusome training, or after he'd suffered the incompetence of Snipe and Ravess. His mind was tired. His soul-if he had a soul-was tired.

_Mother told me that my father had been a drunkard, had beat her. Then she'd say his beatings made her strong. So that was why she hit me. To make me strong._ Her breath had smelled like sky beer, her dress short and slit to her thigh. She had been scary. He thought maybe his father had killed himself just to run away. Then SHE ran away. Some guy she met at the bar. It was always another man she met at the bar.

Handed down, one relative after another, until no one cared for him anymore. They said he scared them: his dark ways, his strange silences, his empty stares. His eyes had no color, just a pale blue. Fourteen years he had wandered, like a sky shark. The sky shark wanders, but he has no home. No home. Nobody.

Then came the Storm Hawks. They pretended to like him. He had liked them back. Perhaps even loved Zelia, and respected Aerron. But the glory shined upon only them. The dark boy holding them back. He never was swooned over, never held in great respect. Just the kid who piloted the skimmer. The dark haired little guy. No one ever asked where he came from, his name, his age. Just one other person...one other shadow of the great Storm Hawks.

So finally, one day, he had the weapon. The glory was his. The power was all his. He held the blade. For once in his life, he was in control. And power, control, it all felt so good. Master Cyclonis was power. Cyl was power. Cyl.

Why did he call her that?

Did he miss her? No...yes. Yes, he missed the real her. He missed the her that wasn't below being tickled through the hallways, missed the her that didn't mind hanging out with the new private, even though she was the heir to an empire. But then Master Cyclonis died. And Cyl had grown up too fast. Far too fast.

He never thought of her as Master Cyclonis, at least, not when alone. Master Cyclonis was her father. She would always be Cyl, laughing, dancing Cyl. In his heart. He had a heart, and he hated to admit it. Once upon a time, his laughter had been free. Once upon a time, when his young mind still believed in hope, and love, and mercy. Perhaps even freedom. The sky had been a home, once. Now it was a kingdom, a kingdom to be conquered. The storms he had once respected and feared, he now defied. The wind he had once ridden, he tore against. The life he had once accepted...no, he had never accepted it.

Time told him nothing but hate.

Love taught him nothing but stupidity.

Power taught him everything. It was a beautiful, rippling, thing, power. The Aurora Stone, the Storm Engine, his sword, his skimmer, his relationship with Cyl, and most of all, killing: that was ALL power. He wanted it more than anything.

As that thought crossed his mind, he didn't believe it. For some reason, Cyl came into his mind first. She was something else. He let that thought envelop him: talking to her, holding her, kissing--

Hell no.

He didn't love. Not anymore. Not after the lessons his bitter life had taught himself. But just one kiss...that would mean the world.

* * *

Cyclonis stood on the cliff, overseeing the activity below. Cranes lifted boxes of metal, crystals were carefully shipped to the weaponry. Life went on.

The door behind her opened.

Dark Ace.

He bowed, and she nodded. He walked forward to greet her.

Cyclonis looked down upon her empire, the Talons swooping around in bright red skimmers. She walked closer to the edge of the cliff. Her eyes were so concentrated, she didn't notice when her foot found no ground. Cyclonis tumbled forward and was about to fall when Dark Ace lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist. He yanked her unceremoniously back onto the ledge. The two collapsed in a heap.

"Thank you," she murmured. He just lay there. She rolled out of his grip and stood, brushing the dust from her battle suit. Dark Ace slowly stood. Cyclonis walked to the edge again and looked over her kingdom. She started to sway. Dark Ace placed a steady hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. She turned and let his red eyes drill into her violet orbs. He swooned when he saw how much her stare was like black water under moonlight.

"I won't fall," she said softly.

"I won't let you."

Dark Ace's hand didn't leave her shoulder. She glanced at the miners, the workers, and the land.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

Dark Ace nodded, but he wasn't looking at the skies. He was looking at his Master. She smiled, a strange, strangled spasm that spread across her face. She hadn't seen this side of him in a long time. She was glad it was back.

The cold wind whipped at them on the ledge. Dark Ace pulled her even closer.

"Cold," she said, and gestured towards the door. She was leaning against his chest now. She liked it there; it felt warm and safe. He was smiling down at her. Her heart was thumping for a reason she didn't know.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded. He suddenly spun her around and looked into her eyes. She blinked; he shuddered to lose her gaze for even a moment. The darkness around them faded into insignificance as he pulled her face up to his and wrapped his arms around her slim waist.

The liquid of her eyes drew closer as she pulled in. He smiled again. The little space between them was lost as her lips touched his, softly at first, then fully.

The Dark Ace shuddered as she kissed him, his mind spinning. He hadn't expected this. She had never given him any other sign that she loved him, let alone wanted to be this close to him. He didn't mind.

Cyclonis eased herself into his grip, her hands resting easily on his broad shoulders. She liked it in his arms. The Storm Hawks could wait, she told herself. She was safe here. The breeze disappeared to her. She was in a vortex of time and space. This kiss was all that mattered.

He was the first to pull away. She saw confusion in his eyes. She pulled back, awkward, but smiled when he didn't let go of her. They stood there a long time, gazing at each other in silence.

Time passed and later they found themselves sitting on the ledge, talking.

"I remember the time you caught me on that skimmer flight," Cyclonis said softly. The Dark Ace chuckled.

"You looked like a hoodlum," he recalled, and laughed even harder when he saw Cyclonis smile shyly. "Good balance though, until that breeze blew by," he remarked. Her smile became one of remembrance.

The talk somehow wandered to him.

"Where are you from?" In all the years they had known each other, she had never thought to ask him.

"Home was a dusty terra that was barren and empty. Grew up with no one," he grunted. She nodded, sympathetic. Her father had not really been much of a father. Her mother...well...

Dark Ace coughed softly; the wind was biting. Cyclonis looked up, worried.

"We should be getting back," she said. "We have plans to discuss."

"And the others are probably missing you," Dark Ace said, reminding her that she was still a queen, and Cyclonia still her empire.

The two walked back, for their purpose was still evil, their plans still meant to ruin. Their seat was still the black throne of the Atmos.


	12. Chapter 12

**I AMAZE MYSELF! I couldn't see my fingers, they moved so fast...So here's part 12, and for anyone who wants another kiss, prepare to be disappointed. Sorry, not yet. Oh, and apology to anyone who wanted Tempest to die...but I am way to pooped to do that. So, have fun!**

* * *

Piper's breath came out in short gasps. The midday sun was no longer as high as it had been, but the rays still seeped through the cloud cover and beat down upon the little group. They dared not run, because attention was something that they didn't need. The Storm Hawks losing Aerrow was bad news for all of Atmos. No one needed to know…yet.

The outskirts of town were small dusty hills that looked much like a minute Terra Tundras, but greener. And no crystal dust. There were several small shacks, each with a tiny address plate nailed onto the door. Starling checked the address.

"That one," she said, pointing at the smallest of the lot, with a horrible little chicken wire fence and a goat bleating pitifully in the "yard", which consisted of five tufts of yellowing grass and a pile of scrap metal.

"Who wants to go first?" Finn muttered. He paid dearly for that comment; Piper and Starling shoved him into the yard and against the door. His body made a thump that could not be mistaken. Whoever…or whatever…lived inside had to have heard. Finn pulled himself up with a shake of the head. The door slowly creaked open.

"Hello?" a scratchy voice said. "What do ya want?"

"We're looking for Tempest," Piper said. Junko nodded. "Are you Tempest?"

"Depends on who wants to know…" the voice scratched back. Finn swore he saw spit fly out and grimaced.

"We're the Storm Hawks-" Junko began, but was cut off by a wail from inside the cottage.

"Leave me alone! Go, move on! I can't help you! Haunting my dreams isn't bad enough, now you have to knock on my door! I can't…" The voice was crying now. Piper looked at Starling in confusion.

"He must think we're the old Storm Hawks…all his dead friends…" Piper said sadly. She walked forward, carefully avoiding the chicken wire.

"We're the NEW Storm Hawks, not your old squadron. Aerron's son is our leader. Your nephew." The crying stopped immediately.

"You mean Aerrow? Kid got sent off to the Sky Night Academy as a baby…never saw him in my life. Aerron didn't trust his mad brother, the carrier pilot, to take care of his son. Left the kid to some priest in his will, instead."

"But Aerrow's in trouble now," Finn insisted.

"He needs your help," Junko said.

"And why should I care?" the voice spat.

"You should," Piper glared. "He's going to die. You couldn't save your friends, or your brother, but you can save Aerrow. You can take away your own nightmares."

The voice was silent. Starling gave Piper an encouraging nod. She had hit a soft spot. The voice finally spoke.

"I guess…you can come in."

The door creaked open even further. The little team walked inside the dark and musty depths of the house. There was a tiny window, a small, neat bed, and a wardrobe. A small kitchen contained a stove and a meager pantry. It was in the kitchen that Tempest stood.

Piper remembered seeing pictures of him in the books. He had been small, and wiry, with blazing red hair as well, but his eyes lacked the fire of his brother and nephew. Their green was more dull, more dark. It was still the same case. But the face that bore them was sunken with grief, unshaven, dark. He wore civilian clothes over his lanky frame. His hair drooped. He looked like a ghost.

"Creepy," Junko whispered. Finn nodded in agreement.

"Well? What kinda trouble is my kid nephew in?"

"He got hurt."

"By who?"

"The…the Dark Ace…" Piper muttered.

"Speak up girly, I don't hear so good anymore."

"The Dark Ace," Piper said. Tempest ground his teeth and swore more vehemently than even Starling could dream of doing.

"That filthy cuss," he growled, and a few other words that cannot and should not ever be put in print, for they would be censored. "Kill him, cut him up, dump him into the Wastelands, that's what I say."

"Good…to know…" Junko whimpered.

"Hmph. Ever killed a man?" Tempest said quietly. The Storm Hawks shook their heads;

in all the years they had known each other, it had never gone that far. Not yet. Tempest continued. "Then that's why you haven't won yet. The Cyclonians won't leave you alone just because you ask them politely. The only reason they leave you alone is because you hold those weapons, and they know that if you wanted to, you could dump their bodies on some God forsaken terra and leave them there to rot. The Dark Ace wins because he leaves no survivors. No mercy. You've heard him say it. He's going to kill my nephew, isn't he?"

"He will, if we don't have your blood," Starling said.

"Hold on, sister, who said anything about blood?"

"Aerrow needs the blood of a family member and the blood of a true love," Finn said.

"This Aerrow got a girlfriend?" Tempest laughed. The Storm Hawks frowned. Tempest smiled again.

"Tell ya what. You take me to see Aerrow, or just a picture. Let me see what he looks like, and I'll do what you want. And, you tell me about this new squad of yours. What ship ya got?" Piper looked at everyone else.

"Umm...funny story. We have the Condor."

"What?" Tempest said. His smile was wiped clean. "The...the Condor? You have...the Condor? You found her?"

"Found her, crumpled up in the wastelands. Our pilot fixed her."

"Who's your pilot?"

"A Merb--"

"A Merb? One of those paranoid geeks? No wonder y'alls still alive," Tempest laughed. The Storm Hawks doubted Stork would have appreciated being called green paranoid geek, however true it was. "So you found my baby, huh? Break that speed record yet?"

"Yeah, Stork did it. Beat the record."

"I miss her."

"She's right ouside, if you want to go say hi--" Junko began, but Tempest waved the comment aside.

"Rather see my nephew first, I reckon," he said. Piper interjected.

"He's too weak right now, but I have a picture."

"You carry a picture of Aerrow...in your pocket?" Finn said. Piper glared at him. She reached into her pocket and took out a crumpled snapshot. A year ago, when Aerrow was first knighted, and the squad had been put together, the Storm Hawks had had their photo taken. She carried it around...for luck. So far, so bad.

"Is that the Merb?" Tempest said, pointing one long, slim finger at Stork, who was actually smiling, for a change. Junko nodded; Finn smirked.

"And that's Aerrow." Piper pointed at him. He was tall, wiry, a big, beaming smile on his face, his arm around Piper and Finn. Junko was towering over them with a big thumbs up. Radarr was perched on Aerrow's shoulder. Stork was crouching at the edge of the photo, forcing a grin.

"He looks just like his dad," Tempest said quietly. "Just like him. And that's the Condor..gotta say, that Merb didn't do such a bad job...that old high speed impeller still giving you trouble?"

Junko looked around. Everyone smiled...except Starling, who seriously had no idea. She decided to let an old man and some kids have their memories.

"I'll help you. How much blood do you need?" he said, looking up from the photo.

"A few drops. I brought a vial," Starling said.

"You're not in the picture," Tempest said, eying her suspiciouslly. "You look familiar..."

"The name's Starling."

"The Interceptors! You were famous...gotta say, you've had one hell of a shift of loyalties."

"I'm just a friend. I'm here to help," Starling said, annoyed. Tempest smirked and handed the picture back to Piper, who folded it carefully and tucked it away. He walked over to the pantry and took out a small razor. Starling held out the vial. Tempest slit the tip of his index finger and let the red blood drip slowly into the glass cup.

One more drop of life, Finn thought.

One more drop for Aerrow, Starling thought.

One more drop of nausea, Junko thought.

One more drop of hope, Piper prayed. When the vial was half full, Tempest pulled away.

"Come back and visit sometime," he said, finding a bandage for his finger. "When Aerrow recovers."

"You mean, _if_," Starling corrected. "We still have a true love to find."

"Oh, I mean WHEN. You've already got your true love, right here." He winked at them. "Bye."

The Storm Hawks left, confused. A chilling sight met their eyes. Clouds were closing in, and they were tinted with a familier red glow.

Cyclonians.

* * *

**There she is. Thanks again, SakariWolf, for reading and loving. This one was for you! ;)  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so sorry for the swear words in this one, but I've had a bad day. And it didn't feel right to make the Storm Hawks cuss. Better Dark Ace and Cyclonis do it, while they try to figure each other out.  
So anyway, my life is horrible, so sorry for the short chapter. I'll get back to Aerrow next time, I promise.**

* * *

The Dark Ace had been called to the War Room for political reasons only.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

He tried to block out the fact that it was the quietest room in the palace, or the fact that there were never guards there, or even the fact that he and Cyl would be alone. Together. Again.

Political...reasons...only.

So obviously he had to pretend to be surprised when he saw Cyl standing in normal dress, leaning casually against the table.

"Dark Ace."

"Cy--Master."

"Hm," she said offhandedly, her hand absentmindedly reaching up to the menacing mane that fringed her thin neck. She wore her usual I-will-do-as-I-fucking-well-please-so shut-the-hell-up expression. And anything that takes up that much effort to write must be something she did a lot.

"Is there...anything you need?" he asked. He was getting impatient; his steel covered boot tapped against the dark floor. She snapped in her usual surly way.

"Stop that."

He stopped. She continued. "You probably know why I called you here."

"Erm...political reasons only?" he said, hopeful that maybe she'd forgotton about that stupid kiss and what had happened last night, and this morning...ugh.

Cyclonis smiled, which was bad news. She only smiled before the kill. Or before she kissed him. Whatever the situation was, she was smiling. A big one. She suddenly snorted, an extremely unladylike sound, which the Dark Ace subconsciously flinched at.

"You make me laugh, Ace," she said finally.

"You called me Ace," he pointed out, after a moment of silence.

"You were about to call me Cyl. I'm not deaf, you idiot," she added when she saw his attempt at surprise. He moaned to himself. _Shoot me, just SHOOT me. Somebody come in and...interrupt, I don't care...Hell..._ Dark Ace tore his crimson eyes away from her violet ones and flicked imaginary dust from his red gloves.

"If you don't have anything better to do than argue about what we've been calling eachother, of late, then I suggest you dismiss me, Master," he said. He was thoroughly annoyed now.

"Ace?"

"Yes?"

"Shut the hell up."

"Yes Master," he intoned. He was still annoyed.

"Ace, I called you here to discuss...us. And don't pretend you didn't know it."

"Look, Cyl...I mean, Master...You don't seriously think that this...thing, this, RELATIONSHIP, if you will, is actually something serious, do you?"

"And what do you suggest I do? Cyclonia needs an heir, and who better to father--"

"Whoa!"

"What?"

"That is a thought I do not need, Master. So don't even THINK about going there. I mean, a kiss, sure, but..."

"But what? I mean, sure, there are limits as to what we can do privately, but that doesn't mean we still can't be closer."

"And do you want to get closer?" She glared at him. "Well, that was a stupid question," he said.

"Ace, we've known eachother a long time. And I know you aren't scared of me..."

"Actually--"

"Don't. Just...don't. You can't be, not as long as you can remember what I was like as a child, what I still am like now. So don't say you're scared of me. You're not. I don't expect you to be. Ravess and Snipe...a whole other matter. What I care about now is the future of Cyclonia. The future of my...well, for the lack of a better word, marital status."

"That's two words, by the way," Dark Ace added. She started to scowl, but that scowl rolled into a laugh. A soft, tinkling one, like the way she'd laughed as a child...like she had last night.

"And that is why I need you, Ace. You don't know how many times I long for the old days...when father was still alive. The old bastard had one use: he gave you free time...time with me. And you make me laugh. But never out loud. The old sons of bitches back then actually wracked something into me about manners, so whenever we're talking with Ravess and Snipe, or some other ignorant wuss, and you say something amusing, I stifle it. Ever notice I tend to cough a lot whenever you talk?"

"Well, there was that one time when Snipe had hit himself in the face with his own mace and had to wear a full face cast. I remarked that it was a serious improvement. You were hacking like my grandmother."

"Exactly. I swear, I've grown twenty lung tumors, holding back the urge to burst out laughing again and again."

"You'd lose all credibility if you did."

"Well, maybe not ALL credibility."

A high pitched whine came from somewhere in the palace; Ravess and her darling violin. The noise crescendoed. A different tune, for once. It sounded...almost romantic. Almost. Not quite.

It seemed like everything lately had been an almost, not quite scenario. Dark Ace wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but it was amusing.

Almost.

* * *

**So the writing sucked. So do I. I won't elaborate TOO much, but let's just say that sugar high teenage boys, on a one hour bus ride, on a rainy day, do not mix well with my current condition. Which is sappy and lonely. So make me feel better and REVIEW! **

**Your anxious friend (I hope)**

Crystal Lit Moon


	14. Chapter 14

**Back to Aerrow...**

* * *

Stork walked aimlessly about the Condor, checking on the ancient gas pipes and other contraptions that might have needed fixing. But he was really listening for Aerrow. A few minutes ago, Radarr had come tearing into the hanger bay, where Stork had been repairing the skimmers. One look told Stork that something was wrong with his commander.

The two had run down the hallways and into Aerrow's room to find him doubled over in pain, his chest wound gushing blood again. It had taken every once of self control in Stork's wiry frame not to faint. Merb and Sky Monkey worked silently, reapplying bandages, and praying for the team to return. The distant storm clouds looked dark and foreboding. Aerrow had fallen asleep again. Stork had reprimanded himself and thanked the skies that Radarr had noticed Aerrow's problem; otherwise, the red head could very well have bled to death.

Of course, Stork was also there to make sure the ship didn't keel over, or some other highly likely event like that.

Stork wandered out onto the balcony. He was thinking about what the hell he was doing here.

He'd first met the Storm Hawks when looking for the Condor. Probably the most reckless moment of his life. _And look what it's gotten me into_, he thought sourly. _I'm a babysitter now. Wee...hoo._ He immediately felt bad. Sure, the others could be a serious pain in the backside, especially Finn, but they all knew what was at stake. And they were the only ones who remotely took interest and sometimes genuine concern in what Stork felt. He remembered that on Terra Merb, the only feelings you said out loud were those of doom. The only reason he kept the trend going here was because he thought it made the others laugh. Sometimes. Half the time, he wasn't even that serious about his predictions of death and despair.

But now, he had to be. When he had first started out, Aerrow had been finicky with him, obviously not comfortable ordering an older being around. He'd given Stork a pretty free rein, something Stork hadn't been used to. But when Stork really started to freak out more than anyone else at the smallest things, Aerrow had stepped up, given the Merb a comforting pat on the back, then told him what to do. It hadn't even sounded like an order. So Aerrow was worth saving.

Stork found himself asking one simple question: _If he's worth saving, is he worth dying for? _Stork had to think a while before conjuring up an answer.

_Aerrow almost died for us. So, yeah, I'd die for him. If I had to die, why not for my friends? Probably will..._

Radarr wandered outside as well and bounced onto the railing.

The two silently watched the street and waited.

* * *

Dark Ace was flying again. Thank the skies, he had muttered as he clambered onto his ride. Finally, something to do, other than listen to Cyl rant about "us" and Ravess screech (with, and without, the violin.)

He'd been given orders: Attack Atmosia. And when the Storm Hawks don't show, spread dispair across the rest of the Atmos. Simple.

Thirty select Talons had been assigned to him. He flew silently in the lead, slipping carefully past border patrol, even though he would have relished doing a sneak attack and slitting all of their measly throats. But orders were orders.

Terra Atmosia came into view. Dark Ace laughed, savoring the moment. He snapped his new firebolt crystal into the bracket on his sword and fired into the clouds. Red lightning scattered for miles around. A warning. His Talons leaned forward over the controls, determination written across their faces.

Then, a disappointing sight. The Condor, parked right next to the city. Oh well, he thought. Why not? Probably here for the burial. He aimed at the blue hawk, screeching triumphantly, and blasted a five foot wide crater in the side of the ship.

Oh, so satisfying.

* * *

Stork felt the jolt before he saw the Talons. He immediately wished he hadn't. His eyes bugged out as he ran to the periscope.

Dark Ace's face came into view.

Uh-oh.

Just in time, the others appeared, running down the street.

* * *

Starling clutched the vial close as the Talon skimmers closed in. Aerrow's life was in her hands, was in that vial. She ran alongside the others. Suddenly, a familier red blast came from the lead vehicle. It could only be Dark Ace. The Condor jolted from the impact. The Storm Hawks ran faster.

Another blast, this one on the ground right next to them.

"Maybe he hasn't seen us yet!" Junko yelled hopefully. A huge ball of red flew towards them and landed only inches away from a screaming Finn.

"Never mind, he's seen us!" Junko howled, and ran for it. Starling took off when a third blast charged through the air, and before she had time to react, shattered the ground upon which she was standing. She fell, the vial slipped, and it was like the air became molassas. Time stopped. The vial twisted, the red liquid within dancing, tantalizing. Then, it clattered the the ground and broke into a million pieces. The blood seeped into the earth, red veins spiraling out.

"No!" Piper shrieked. Starling got up, shock written across her face. The Dark Ace was right above them now, charging up another blast, this one the finish them off. Starling pushed the others along and out of blasting distance as they ran for the Condor.

What were they going to do?

They turned towards Tempest's shack and watched in utter horror as the Talons tore apart every home. Tempest's shack was mowed to the ground. No one could have survived that. What was going to happen to Aerrow?

The Storm Hawks dove onto the battered Condor.

"STORK! HIT IT!" Finn yelled, but Stork was already at the controls, and taking off, fast. They left behind a battered Terra Atmosia, and a pool of drying blood, lying in shattered fragments of glass, and shattered pieces of hope. The Storm Hawks left their hearts lying on the road of that terra.


	15. Chapter 15

Aerrow felt the blast that hit the Condor spread up through his ribs and constrict his lungs in a moment of silent worry. He was too far away from the window to see what was going on outside, but he had a hunch.

Dark Ace, here to finish the Storm Hawks off.

The Condor pulled off the ground.

For the first time, Aerrow was running away from the Dark Ace. He wasn't sure which was worse: Him lying on his potential death bed, or the Dark Ace massacreing Terra Atmosia and getting away with it.

The Condor streaked away from the terra, and the Talons streaked after them.

There were loud bangs coming from above; the Condor's many guns going off. Aerrow could picture the blue blasts in his mind. There was a particularly large barrage from outside that shook Aerrow's room. His chest felt like it was about to explode.

Piper suddenly ran in, her hair hanging limply, her face red, as if she had just been crying.

"You're awake!" she shouted over the cannons. He nodded as she sped over and inspected the bandages. Stork and Radarr had done a good job, she concluded.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Why are you asking?"

"You just look like...I dunno, something really bad happened. Did you find a relation?"

"Maybe you should lie down," she advised. The bombing ceased. The Talons had retreated. Aerrow fell back into the warm, blood splattered sheets.

"Well?"

"You have an uncle. His name's Tempest. He used to pilot the Condor."

"Oh." Aerrow lay there and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Huh."

"That's all you have to say? We discover a long lost relative, and all you have to say is 'Oh' and 'Huh'?"

"Could have something to do with the fact that my chest is ripped to pieces," he remarked. Piper sat down and sighed quietly. Aerrow reached out and patted her arm. "C'mon, I'll be fine. You got the blood, didn't you?"

"Yes--I mean, no. The..."

"What?"

"THE VIAL BROKE, I'M SO SORRY, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT, I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE DARK ACE COMING, AERROW, WHAT'RE WE GOING TO DO?!" Piper shrieked. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she beat her head against the wall. Aerrow sat up again.

"Hey, HEY!" he shouted. She quieted and stopped banging. "Don't worry, go back, ask my uncle for more blood--"

"We can't, the Dark Ace is there, they'll have occupied Atmosia by now."

"There's got to be another way," he said. His eyes were so full of hope...how do you tell a person that they're going to die, no matter what? Piper thought. She sat with him until he was asleep again. The Condor landed softly; where, she didn't know. But it was cold. She closed the window and went to her own room. She sat down in front of the Night Stone, glaring at it.

_You caused all our pain. You are killing my friend. My best friend, and you're killing him. _She rummaged through her cabinet for her protective gloves when her hand brushed against something large and round. She pulled out a big, purple crystal. The Oracle Stone. Aerrow had risked his neck to get if for her. It was useless now that the oracle was gone, but she'd kept it. Anything he'd almost died for was worth saving. Piper hugged the stone close.

_I have to try. He's given up so much for us. I have to save him._ She sat down again and reached for her goggles and a laser. The red center of the crystal was the only part she needed. She slowly began to chip away at the dark stone.

Night fell. Finn stopped by and brought her a cup of coffee. Stork checked in to let her know that they were on Terra Nord for repairs. The Sky Knight had allowed them temporary passage. Radarr came to keep her company. Junko came and read to her as she worked. Night passed, and morning came. Finally, as the first rosy rays of the morning sun licked the walls of Piper's room, a blood red, refined crystal lay before her. She brushed the deadly blades of blue black into a box for safekeeping. They could be used for further experimentation later. The small center glittered. She slid it into a wooden box and collapsed onto her bed.

Starling was the one who woke her. She looked as if she'd been crying all night, blaming herself for the accident.

"Hey," she said, shaking Piper awake. Piper stood and blinked groggily.

"Wha ime i i'?" she muttered.

"Sorry?"

"What time is it?" Piper repeated.

"Noon. I made lunch." The two women headed towards the kitchen. Starling wheeled around.

"I've been thinking," the Interceptor said. "I'm really sorry about the vial."

"Don't worry. We'll figure out a way. And I have the center ready for use."

"About the true love thing..."

Piper snapped her head up. Starling continued.

"I think I want to be the donor."

Starling's words drilled into Piper like a laser into crystals. Starling...loved Aerrow?

"You...love Aerrow?" Piper stammered.

"As a brother! I just think it's worth a try! I respect him, he's like a sibling to me, and yes, I guess I do have a sisterly kind of relationship with him! It's our best shot!" she said defensively.

"Oh."

"You needn't be so touchy! Unless..." Starling trailed off with a smirk.

"What?" Piper demanded.

"You like Aerrow, don't you? LOVE him, maybe?" Starling said.

"No!"

"Piper, if you love him, now is the time to ACT! We don't care about your feelings! Not really...If you love him, then try!"

"I don't know if I love him! And even if I do, how do I know if I'm HIS true love?" Piper wailed. Starling wagged a finger at her friend, no-nonsense style.

"You will give blood. So will I. Whoever's works, will be the one we use."

"Deal. But we still need Tempest's blood."

"Oh. Right." Starling sniffled again. They had arrived at the kitchen. Junko and Fiinn had already eaten their sandwiches and were eyeing Piper's with great interest. As she sat down to eat, she noticed a red smear on Starling's armor.

"Starling...is that...blood?"

Starling looked down. Finn gasped. Junko looked up with a questioning glance.

"That wouldn't be loco-uncle Tempest's blood, would it?" Finn asked. Starling squealed, a sound the Storm Hawks had never heard her make before. She unfastned the plate and handed it to Piper, who ran to her room and carefully inspected it. It was definetely blood. There was only one way to find out if it was Tempest's, however. She placed a bowl on the table, tilted the plate, and washed the blood into the wooden basin below. The liquid swirled. Piper gingerly took out the red crystal center and plopped it into the tiny puddle. There was a fizzing sound. No magic yet. She carried the bowl back to the kitchen. Finn sighed, leaning against the counter.

"Okay, now we just have to make Aerrow fall in loove in the next twenty four hours, and we're good.

"Starling and I want to try," Piper blurted. Everyone's first reaction was to stare at Starling.

"As a brother!" she barked. Then they turned to Piper, who was blushing redder than the crystal she held.

"Well, we always did have a hu--oomph!" Junko had begun to talk, but was silenced by Finn's elbow.

"Hey, that's cool. How about Starling goes first?" he smirked. Said Sky Knight nodded and pulled out a hair pin. She pricked the tip of her finger and let a few drops drizzle into the bowl.

Five, ten, fifteen, thirty seconds passed. Nothing. Starling handed the pin to Piper.

Piper took a deep breath, and remembered Aerrow's kind face, his bright eyes. How, as kids, they'd played together at the academy. How he'd always laughed with her, never at her. How he'd saved her life more than once. She sliced her pinkie open, held it over the bowl, and waited. Three drops fell in.

Three splashes.

Everyone held their breath.

* * *

**I'm evil. And good with cliffhangers. HA HA HA! You will have to wait to see if Piper is Aerrow's true love! Muahahaha!**

I feel like the Dark Ace...


	16. Chapter 16

The bowl fizzed, as if electricity had been generated from some unknown place. The Storm Hawks gasped as a giant mushroom cloud of gas burst forward. It smelled...strange. Piper knew that smell.

It was the same scent that she whiffed whenever Aerrow smiled at her, or walked by, or when his skimmer came within speaking distance. The same scent she'd caught when he'd hugged her as a child, when he'd asked her to join his team, or when he had handed her the Oracle Stone. It was his smell. She'd know it anywhere.

She lifted the bowl and walked to Aerrow's room. The others lingered, unsure as to what would happen if they left the two alone.

Piper stopped halfway there.

She was fifteen years old, and so was he. Was she ready for a relationship? They were in a war, she reasoned. We might not have time to get together. Now is the perfect opportunity. But her mind turned to what she was giving up.

A job. A life away from the Storm Hawks. If they won this, and they had a pretty good chance of doing so, she could go places. She could be a teacher, a historian, a crystal engineer. Getting into something as serious as a love-relationship with a Sky Knight was hardly something secure.

So she made her choice.

* * *

Aerrow felt a hot liquid sear his throat as he woke. It burned, like the Sky Side Shanty's vinegar. He tried to cough it up, but something told him to keep it down. It tasted good...like the night, if night had a taste. And yet...it wasn't really night. More of a dawn-tasting-thing. It tasted like...hope?

_You're crazy_, Aerrow thought to himself. _Hope doesn't have a taste._

He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Finn.

"Alright! My man is up and at 'em! I knew it was Pi-"

Radarr bit Finn's leg.

"YEOW! I mean, erm, PERFECT. Man, that soup will work wonders," Finn said, flinching.

"You're up!" Starling raced forward and squeezed the life out of Aerrow's arm. Junko thumped his commander on the back. Aerrow almost hurled the potion across the room. Even Stork walked forward and patted the red head affectionately. No one mentioned it, but the Merb was purring more than he did on Sand Cake days. Radarr curled up against Aerrow's shoulder. He missed his old perch.

But someone was missing.

"Where's Piper?" Aerrow asked, glancing around the room.

"Told you he'd notice," Finn muttered. Aerrow stood. The room wobbled. He fell onto the bed again. Radarr squealed as Aerrow sat on his tail. He wormed his way out before shaking a finger at Aerrow, repremanding him.

"She's...asleep!" Junko said.

"It's one in the afternoon," Aerrow said pointedly.

"She's...not asleep?" Junko offered. Aerrow raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"Where are we, anyways?" he said, shivering.

"Terra Nord," Stork explained. "Dark Ace decided to make a few additions to the Condor...crater style."

"You still haven't answered my question," Aerrow moaned.

"She's outside, OKAY?!" Finn barked. "Now sit down and drink your soup, man!"

"You sound like his mother," Starling drawled, then immediately wished she hadn't. Aerrow's bright eyes had lost a bit of their luster.

The crew shifted uncomfortably. Aerrow stood, and this time, the room stayed put. He slipped on a clean shirt and started for the door.

"Hey, you all right?" Starling said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He nodded.

"Who's blood was in that potion?" he asked, not turning around.

"What potion? That was, uh, Stork's miracle soup!" Finn said.

"Finn, who was it?" Aerrow barked. The blonde had never heard his friend talk like that before.

"Piper," he whimpered. Starling threw him an evil glare. Aerrow rushed out of the room, heading for the stairs. He knew where his friend was.

Piper let out a breath. Aerrow wouldn't find her here. No one knew that Piper liked to sit in the cleaning supply closet and think when she was tired of the boys.

A knock on the door.

A _knock _on the _door?_

Piper stood and slowly turned the knob.

Crap.

"Hey," Aerrow said. "What're you doing in there?"

"How did you know-"

"I'm not stupid. The only place that's ever quiet. No one goes into the cleaning supply closet by their own free will."

Piper sat down on an upturned bucked. "So you're up! That's great, Aerrow."

"You don't look that happy."

"What did Finn tell you?" she said softly, her amber eyes drilling holes into him. Aerrow's knees almost gave out.

"He said that you gave the blood."

"I'm going to skin that idiot alive."

"Better hurry. Starling's already got the paring knife."

Piper giggled against her will. She couldn't help it. And yet he still looked so hurt, so confused. Aerrow continued.

"Why weren't you there? When they gave me the potion, I mean. It was...your blood."

"Aerrow, it's not that I don't like you. I do, I really do. I love you. But I can't be in a relationship. I can't handle that! Maybe for now, while we're the Storm Hawks, but after that, what? I have no other life away from here. I can't just go off and get married! I want an adventure! I don't need-"

"An ex-Sky Knight dragging you down. I understand," Aerrow muttered.

"Aerrow, I'm not ready for this. I know that you want us to have more, but I can't. And after the war, there won't be a need for us anymore. We're not tied to a terra. We're free. I want to go to college, live, for a change, associate with other people, get a job! Maybe then, I can settle down."

"Are you saying you want me to wait?"

"I'm saying I want you to move on."

Oh. Aerrow sagged. _Well, that was a big waste of time_, he thought. She doesn't want me. She doesn't know how I feel...so I guess I'll have to show her. He walked into the tiny space and sat down next to Piper. He reached out and patted her.

"I get it. But...before we move on..."

"Yes?"

He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. She blushed crimson. It was like her body was on fire. He grabbed her tightly around the shoulders and pulled her closer. The bucked clanked, but no one noticed.

"Weird place to kiss, a storage closet," he whispered.

"But we're not ki-"

Aerrow stopped her words with his lips. He held her face and kissed her fully. She sagged against him. Her mind was screaming, _You filthy hipocrite! You tell him you don't want him, then you kiss him. Way to go, PIPER!_ But Piper's body wouldn't agree to that notion. She kissed him all the harder, her face warm. She could feel his breath, smell that familiar smell, and see his eyes, those perfect green...

Her mind finally won as she pulled away. He looked more hurt than ever.

"I can't do this, Aerrow. I'm sorry." She ran out of the closet, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**sniffles**


	17. Chapter 17

Finn saw Piper dash out of the supply closet, tears streaming down her face. The blonde peeked into the tiny room and saw Aerrow sitting on the floor, the normally alive, green eyes welling with tears.

"Man, what did she DO?"

"Just shut up Finn," Aerrow said, his voice breaking. Finn's commander stormed out the door and disappeared down the hall. Finn walked to Aerrow's room and heard sobbing from inside. The same was true for Piper.

The next three months passed in a strange lull of awkwardness.

Piper and Aerrow refused to talk, or even look at eachother. Aerrow took dinner in his room, not daring to sit at the same table as his navigator. Piper always found some excuse to leave the hanger bay during repairs if Aerrow walked in. The two could never speak of each other; they rarely spoke at all about anything. Finn and Junko often tried to get the two closer, but failed. Terra Atmosia remained in Cyclonian hands. Aerrow had to lie low.

Starling left the Condor a few days after Aerrow and Piper's spat. She slipped out without a goodbye to either of them.

No Talons.

No rogues.

No Dark Ace.

So three silent months passed.

* * *

The first morning of winter in the Atmos was cold, as always, but it was also clean. The thick grog of summer slowed everything, and the past three months had been especially painful.

Aerrow went out on his skimmer, alone. Radarr rarely rode with him anymore. The redhead obviously wanted to be by himself, to think, to understand his life. He came back, chilled and tired. He lay down on his bunk and slept.

It was late afternoon when he woke, but it was dark already. Aerrow sat up, wincing at the pain. His chest had never quite healed. The scar remained lived, slicing across his front, red hot.

Aerrow closed his eyes for a few moments, and when he opened them again, it was as if someone had placed a mirror in front of him...or a movie projection.

There stood...him. The same, spiky red hair, the same blazing green eyes. But that person looked taller, stronger, wiser. And, if possible, sadder.

"You're...me?" Aerrow whispered.

"Hello, son."

* * *

Piper lay in bed, the ceiling glaring at her.

Her heart fluttered as she turned to face the door.

She remembered Aerrow standing there, a smirk on his face. She reached under her pillow and pulled out a piece of paper.

Her eyes closed softly to squeeze out the tears as she looked upon the smiling face that stared out at her. It was Aerrow's picture that had been taken at his knighting. The newly knighted red head had posed for the camera, holding his newly received swords, beaming. Piper kissed the paper. It was the last thing she did every night. She wanted him to hug her, for some reason. She felt cold inside. She felt stupid. She gave up the love of her life...for what, a stupid job?

Regret.

That was all Piper held in her heart now, that alongside the aching love she longed to let go of.

* * *

Aerrow sat there, his heart pounding.

"Your're...my father?"

"Yes," the man said, nodding.

"You're...Aerron?"

"Yup."

"What?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, ghosts aren't supposed to say...'yup'."

"Well I'm not a ghost. I'm a...a spirit, if you will. I'm tied to this ship. I'm tied to you."

"Wh-"

"Allow me to first, congragulate you. You are the youngest Sky Knight ever to fly the skies of Atmos. And quite a squadron you have, too."

"The best."

"Hm. I have a lot of explaining to do. I'm here to ask you a favor. It's about a friend of mine."

"And who would that be?"

"I knew him as Ace. You however, may know him as the _Dark _Ace."

"You were FRIENDS?" Aerrow barked. His heart thumped against his chest like a caged bird.

"We still are, in a way. I forgave him a long time ago. I've had fourteen years, Aerrow, fourteen years to think. Fourteen years to wander this ship, and watch you grow up. I watched you, sitting there in class at the Sky Knight Academy. I watched you make friends. I saw you and I knew that you were the one to help me finally truly forgive Ace."

"You're going to forgive the man who almost killed ME? Who killed you, who killed my mom, your wife? Who's slaughtered countless Sky Knights and their squadrons, who is my worst enemy?"

"Get three things straight, son. One, Ace is not evil. Remember that. The man has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He just decided it to fill it with darkness. He knew no other way. His mother beat him, did you know? His father commited suicide a few days after his son was born. Ace's older sister sold herself on the streets to support herself and her brother when their mother left. Then she died. And Ace was passed from uncaring person to uncaring person. The second thing you need to know is, I hated him when I died. When I came back, I realized that I shouldn't, that in a way, I deserved this. We'd never appreciated him. We told ourselves he didn't mind. But he did. And in our hearts, we'd known it was wrong. But we never stopped the whispering, the rumors. He turned on us because we turned on him. And third, Ace is not your enemy. The Dark Ace, however, is."

"Is there a difference?"

"Ace is a good man, Aerrow. But the darkness inside him is eating away, slowly, and the little good he has left will die. Did you know about him and Cyclonis?"

"What about them?"

"She and him have a romantic connection."

"WHAT!?"

"Yes, they do."

"Robbing the cradle, isn't he?"

"The point of the matter is, he can love. He is still good! I know you don't believe me. But he needs saving. And that's what you need to do. Save him. Save him from the war, save him from himself."

"Dad...It feels strange saying that word, but, dad, how do you expect me to do that? I have no connection to him, other than we've been trying to splatter each other across the Wasteland for the past year and a half."

"You'll know what to do."

"Wait!" Aerrow shouted, but the spirit had already faded. Aerrow lay down again, stunned by what had just happened.


	18. Chapter 18

**This is one of my longer ones. I had a lot to say!**

* * *

Cyclonis pulled her cloak closer around her, her mind swirling in nervousness. She had to tell him at some point. She couldn't hide if forever.

Her stomach lurched. She felt as if her gut was going to be wrenched from her body.

There was a loud clanking outside.

"SNIPE!" Ravess shrieked. Cyclonis's head swam. She summoned the nearest Talon.

"Get the Dark Ace. And command the others to leave the room. It's a private mission," she drawled coolly. The Talon nodded and rushed outside, motioning for the others to follow him. They swiftly left the room, leaving a very tired girl.

Cyclonis hugged herself. She imagined him doing it. She remembered that night on the cliff top...his arms around her...

The door slid open. She whirled around, and the movement sent her reeling. Dark Ace watched her worriedly, but did not approach.

"You called?"

"I assume you've noticed I've been a little different lately..."

"Master, if this is another relationship talk--"

"It's a boy, you know."

"What is?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"The baby."

"Wh-what baby?"

"My baby. OUR baby."

The Dark Ace dropped the sword he was holding, but he didn't even hear the clatter.

A...a child?

Part of him wanted to laugh out loud, to grab Cyl and smile, to get ready to become a father. He wanted to live a normal life, maybe even settle down. But the other part wanted faint. This was the first time in his life he'd ever been afraid. A father! A father? _A father? I mean, it was one NIGHT! God...Well, here's your lesson, buddy, don't sleep with your boss..._he thought. He'd never seen examples of fatherhood; his dad hadn't stayed alive long enough. So the Dark Ace decided to remain neutral and simply stand there.

"Oh," he muttered.

She suddenly started crying, raced down from the podium, and threw herself against him. Her thin arms wrapped around him, her slim body shaking with sobs.

"I don't want to be a mother! I'm only eighteen! I don't want to be a MOTHER!" she howled, her face smothered against his shoulder. Dark Ace suddenly felt bad. He couldn't burden a teenager with a child. And it was...partially his. He reached up and hugged her back.

"There...there..." he said awkwardly. "How long..."

"Three months," she sniffed, pulling away. Shock filled his face. She'd been concealing a pregnancy for that long? "You won't leave, or anything like that? You'll accept responsibility for him?"

"Do I really have a choice?" he said. The crimson eyes looked scared. Cyclonis suddenly grabbed her belly and fell back.

"I feel sick..."

"How long have you been hiding this?" he asked, worried.

"Ever since I requested less guards and more buckets," she moaned. He reached over and helped her stand up straight again. Then, in spite of himself, he kissed her cheek. She smiled. The tears tasted salty, and she smelled like crystal fragments.

"Any other news?" he remarked dryly. She straightened, wiped away the tears, and became a queen again.

"Believe it or not, an actual mission. Take down the Storm Hawks. And I forgot to thank you for Terra Atmosia."

"Think of it as...a present."

"And what occasion is this present for?" she said, teasing. He smirked.

"One that marks the bright future of Cyclonia. Oh, and what should we name...him, I think you said?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

* * *

The mission briefing had been anything but brief. Snipe had needed his part of the plan to be repeated thirty-something times before take-off, and was still silently muttering it under his breath.

"Bash in their skulls. Bash in their skulls. Bash in their...what's the word?"

"Skulls," the Dark Ace remarked offhandedly.

"Oh. Yes, that was it. Bash in their skulls. _Bash _in their _skulls. _Bash..."

"Dark Ace, you seem rather preoccupied. Is...something the matter?" Ravess said, trying to make conversation.

"Nothing really," he said from the corner of his mouth. Cyl had sworn him to secrecy. At least, until it started to show.

"Oh."

"Up ahead!" a Talon said. The Condor slid into view. The Dark Ace smirked on the outside, but something pounded on the inside. Something that was warning him, like the smell of electricity before a storm. He pulled out his sword.

"Talons, ATTACK!"

* * *

Aerrow was jolted by the blasts. The alarms blared. Stork shouted. Aerrow jumped out of bed and put on his armor, grabbed his swords, and sped out of the room.

"Stork, how many?"

"Snipe, Ravess, AND the Dark Ace!" the Merb howled.

"Uh-oh. No running this time."

"Speaking of running, and uh-ohs..." Stork remarked dryly. The others barged in.

"I saw them! It's--"

"The deadly trio, we know," Finn said. "Aerrow, stay on the ship."

"NO WAY! I am not going to cower like some, some, DOG, while you guys get shot from the skies!"

"Are you saying--" Junko began, but Piper cut him off.

"Aerrow's right, he's the only one who can handle the D.A, so let him out. We'll just watch him closer. And, Aerrow?"

"Hm?" The red head was so nervous, he forgot to avoid her.

"Don't get killed."

Aerrow took off, Radarr sitting next to him. Just like old times.

The Storm Hawks flew.

Snipe led the first wave, as arranged. The Talons swooped down like mosquitoes. Aerrow pushed his skimmer into the deadly crowd of fighters, then leapt from craft to craft, stabbing engines as he went. Talons crumpled into the clouds, parachutes meekly deploying, men cursing.

Finn fired deadly shot after deadly shot, slicing through wings.

A familiar tune.

Ravess.

Her fire red arrows sliced through the air, trailing what looked almost like blood. Finn dodged, then sent his arrows flying back. She did a three-sixty before sending five at a time at him. Three hit the engine, one hit a wing, and one sliced off the front of his skimmer.

"Gimme a break!" he howled. He landed, hard, on the roof of the Condor.

Aerrow was staying away from "The Big Three" until things got too heated...or until he was spotted. And that didn't take long.

"Is that...Aerrow?" Ravess shrieked. The female sharpshooter's eyes locked onto the red hair and blue skimmer. Dark Ace pulled to a halt.

"WHAT?!" he barked. He streaked up after the Sky Knight. The craft was empty. Just a sky monkey. Dark Ace got ready to fire when a familier snapping sound came from behind. He turned to see Aerrow's wings fold into the bracket on his back.

"You," the Dark Ace snarled.

"Hi. Long time, no see!" the red head quipped, before raising his swords. The Dark Ace leapt forward with his own. Aerrow slashed at him. Dark Ace slashed back. The blue and red sparks flew in every direction. Radarr maneuvered the skimmer directly below the two fighters. Dark Ace suddenly ducked below Aerrow's blows and kicked the red head off the skimmer. He landed neatly on his own craft, Radarr nimbly switching to his own side car. Aerrow flew after the Talon commander, his face twisted into a snarl.

Ravess suddenly popped out of the clouds. An arrow was notched in her bow, and before Aerrow could pull away, she let it fly.

Aerrow didn't have time to think as Ravess's arrow spiraled towards him. It took a millisecond of contemplation before he raised his swords and deflected it. The arrow, rather than splintering, as he had hoped it would, bounced at the direction of Piper and the Dark Ace. Piper shrieked and dodged.

The Dark Ace was not so lucky.

Ravess's arrow was built to shear through the toughest of metals, and it did so with Dark Ace's skimmer. The tip tore through the engine of his fire red Switchblade, before spiraling up and hitting his right shoulder. The arrow lodged itself there.

"No!" Ravess shouted; she may have hated him, but Master Cyclonis would have her hide if the Dark Ace died. The skimmer plummeted towards the cloud line.

* * *

Dark Ace felt the pain rip through him: it was like a sharp jolt in his torso, and at first, he thought he'd been shot in the back. He cursed, because it was a cowardly thing, to get shot in the back. What would Cyl say? he told himself. Then he saw the shaft protruding from his shoulder and almost felt relief. Then it was anger. Damn Ravess, and damn Aerrow. His arm went numb and let go of he controls. The skimmer seemed to slide out from underneath him, the engine valiantly trying to chug on. But it was already too late. The Switchblade plummeted, and he went down with it.

His eyes slowly closed with regret. He forced himself not to scream, not to be angry that he'd never see his child. He'd forgotten his jet wings. His body would end up splattered across the rocks of some corner of the Wastelands.

That was his last thought, before a hand reached out and grabbed him.

* * *

Aerrow watched the Dark Ace fall, and instead of relief, it was horror.

He'd killed a man.

Or had he?

Aerron's pained face appeared again. _Save him, Aerrow. Save him from the war, save him from himself. _So again, Aerrow didn't think. His blue skimmer plunged down after the red one, cursing all the time. He heard Finn shouting from the Condor.

"Man, what the hell are you doing? You idiot, that's the Dark Ace!"

Aerrow kept going. Radarr chirped and tugged at his friend's arm. The red skimmer and its unfortunate rider came into sight. Aerrow sighed before grabbing the Dark Ace's good arm and began hauling him back up into clear skies.

"What the-" Dark Ace shouted. "Hey! What're you doing?"

"Saving your butt ugly life, so don't struggle!" Aerrow shouted back.

"You let go this instant, or I'll…"

"What? Bite me?" Aerrow barked. The Dark Ace stopped talking and just roared; in anger or in pain, Aerrow didn't know, but the arrow wound looked ugly. The two men heard a faint crash from below. The Wastelands had claimed the Cyclonian skimmer.

"And that's where you will be if you try any funny business," Aerrow snarled at Dark Ace. He tossed him onto the back of his skimmer and landed gracelessly on the Condor, purposely jolting his disgruntled passenger. Just because he saved him didn't mean he had to like it as well.

* * *

**I suck at battle scenes, but you get the idea. And I hope you enjoyed this!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

"What is HE doing on MY ship?" Stork howled when Aerrow trudged in, dragging a snarling, but bound and gagged, Dark Ace behind him. "Do you have MINDWORMS? Did that blast permanently damage your thinking capacity?"

"Maybe," Aerrow shrugged. "He'll stay in my room."

"The hell he will." Finn said. He, Piper, and Junko had walked in, angry looks on their faces.

"Aerrow, what are you doing?"

"I just didn't think-"

"That's the problem, you don't think!" Piper ranted. And when Piper rants, the whole world listens. Because she doesn't really ever stop. "That's your worst enemy. He's the guy who almost killed you and sent us trudging across the Atmos trying to save you. That is the man you MURDERED your parents. And now you want to save his sorry ASS?"

The Storm Hawks had never heard Piper curse. She must have been peeved.

"Look, it's…hard to explain. But it has to do with…my dad…"

"Dude, this isn't one of those 'Luke, I am your father' things, is it?" Finn asked. He and Junko had recently become obsessed with the Star Wars thing.

"No, Finn, the Dark Ace is not my father!" Aerrow shouted. Dark Ace's eyebrows raised in relief. The walls shook. "Just…leave me to my own reasons, okay?"

"And what do we do with him? I'm not sleeping on the same ship as that…monster…" Junko whined.

"I'm working on it," Aerrow muttered before dragging a very pained, and confused, Dark Ace to his room.

The Dark Ace was in utter and unbelievable shock. He, the paragon of brutality and "No mercy", was being given mercy. He'd just been saved by the little punk kid he'd tried to kill three months ago.

Damn it, he thought as the arrow shifted. Aerrow tossed him onto the bed and pulled out a chain from a drawer marked "Repair Supplies". A few moments and a fierce struggle later, the Dark Ace was succesfully chained by his good wrist to Aerrow's bedpost. Aerrow undid the gag and leaned back.

"You don't know how long I've waited to see you in this situation," he drawled.

"Don't talk evil, it doesn't suit you," Dark Ace snapped. Great, his first words to the kid under relatively peaceful circumstances, and they came off as totally stupid.

"Well, now that we've dispensed with the formalities, anything you'd like to say to me in particular before I yank out that arrow?"

"Ye--"

"Good." Aerrow marched forward, firmly grasped the metal shaft with both hands, and yanked. Dark Ace barked in pain. The bloody tip came out after some persuasion. Aerrow tossed it offhandedly out the open window, to the amazement of Dark Ace, who had assumed he would at least keep it as a trophy.

"What am I doing here? Do you want information?" the Dark Ace spluttered at last.

"No."

"Well then?"

"Like I said, I have my reasons. And you have a relationship."

"How did you know about me and...and Cyl?" The Dark Ace sat up, despite his screaming shoulder.

"Cyclonia isn't the only one with spies," Aerrow said softly. He grimaced inside; it didn't feel right calling his father's spirit a spy.

"And what are you going to do to me? To Master Cyclonis?"

Aerrow raised a long red eyebrow. "A prisoner exchange. You, for every other captured Sky Knight and squad member in the Cyclonian dungeons. You're worth it."

"And what if I'm not?"

"Then I lend you a skimmer, take away your weapons and armor, give you a supply pack, and send you on your way."

"You're joking," the Dark Ace said incredulously.

"I'm dead serious."

The Dark Ace lay down again, his face holding an expression that any poker player would have died for. Aerrow left.

The Dark Ace looked around the tidy room. _So this is what they do when they're not whipping my butt_, he thought sullenly, admiring the weapons and how clean they looked. He had never taken much time to clean his own blade. It either worked, or it didn't. He could always get a new one. _I mean_, he thought to himself, _any attachment to my inanimate objects is just plain stupid_. He'd learned that the hard way, after SlipStream had been torn to pieces.

When Dark Ace had first begun to serve Master Cyclonis, he'd been presented with a beautiful red and black Switchblade, the best of its class. It shimmered from head to tail. She had been perfect. Dark Ace had dubbed her SlipStream.

But it hadn't taken more than two weeks before, during a battle, she'd been ripped from wing to wing by a cannon blast. He'd survived to kill the Sky Knight that did it, but SlipStream, unfortunately, had plummeted to the terra below. Of course, his current Switchblade was even better, with an improved engine and tough armor to slice through other crafts. Well, it wasn't exactly current anymore, come to think of it.

Whoops.


	20. Chapter 20

Master Cyclonis was humming.

She didn't normally approve of humming, and if any grunt dared do it in front of her, he'd find his head on a pike the next morning. But this was not a normal day.

The Dark Ace had actually accepted fatherhood. She was going to have a baby. An heir. A boy. What was there not to hum about?

It was the exact same tune that the Dark Ace had been whistling earlier this morning. She didn't know what tune it was, but it sounded nice. Better than Ravess's dreaded "classical music" in any case. And she'd rather hear something that he liked.

What could possibly go wrong?

A pounding on the door. The humming stopped. She turned.

"Enter."

Snipe, Ravess, and two horrified Talons barged in.

"Master, the Dark Ace, he's..." a Talon panted.

"He's what?" she said, not bothering to turn.

"Dead, Master," Snipe barked. Ravess elbowed him in the ribs.

"What?" Cyclonis wheeled around, and instead of angry, her face was horrified. Ravess and Snipe cringed. "He's...what?"

"Aerrow's alive. We came across the Condor, and they started fighting, and Aerrow struck him..." Ravess began, but stopped when her master crumpled to the floor. She hoped Master Cyclonis wouldn't figure out which Aerrow had done it: her arrow, or that bloody Storm Hawk.

"The Dark Ace is...dead?" Master Cyclonis said in disbelief. The others nodded. "He's...dead?" she repeated.

"Fell into the Wastelands, along with his skimmer," a Talon elaborated. He immediately regretted it. Giant tears were rolling down Cyclonis's face.

"No body?" she whispered. The others shook their head.

No.

No.

_No._

They left silently as the girl began to sob. A wail echoed through the palace walls.

She didn't want to be the queen, the ruler, the master anymore. She wanted to cry on his shoulder, to be a girl again. She wanted him to walk in here and drawl, and make her laugh, and smile as Ravess and Snipe were tossed around like rag dolls. And now, he was gone. Everything she'd ever cared for: Her mother, her father, and now, him. Ace, splattered across the Wastelands or some God forsaken terra.

The crying stopped. The Storm Hawks.

They would pay. Revenge was looming. And this time, she would kill Aerrow with her bare hands. She didn't care how he'd survived, he wouldn't for long. For her, for Cyclonia, and for the unborn child who would never see his father.

For Ace.

* * *

Dark Ace was yanking annoyingly on the chain. It clicked softly against the wooden bed post. He reached behind him and felt no sword. Drat.

He had fallen asleep a while ago, in spite of himself. He had woken to find his shirt ripped open and a bandage wrapped around the arrow wound. It was stinging, which could be a good sign, or a bad sign. But right now, all he wanted was to get home. The Talons had retreated before seeing Aerrow catch him. They must have thought he was dead, and would have told Cyl by now. He needed to get out.

Dark Ace strained to pull the chain off. The wood creaked. It was going to give.

A clank, then a familiar blue glow.

Dang it.

Aerrow was standing over him, his sword glowing menacingly.

"Don't even think about it," Aerrow whispered. The Dark Ace stopped pulling.

"Why don't you just let me go NOW?"

"Because I don't want you fainting on the way home and falling and wasting all my efforts."

"Hm. And what are you doing?"

"Guarding you. My friends would come in and slit your throat if I wasn't here. I don't blame them." The Dark Ace glanced over the edge of the bunk and saw a makeshift bed of blankets and a pillow on the floor. _Aerrow could have just tossed me into a closet, and yet he gives me his own bed. What is he DOING?!_

Aerrow lay back down, his back sore from the hard floor. But he had to make things right. If everything went according to plan, then maybe the Dark Ace could find the supposed good inside himself again. Maybe. And Aerrow would find it in himself to forgive. The red head waited until the heavy, even breathing of the Dark Ace told him that the Talon commander was asleep. Aerrow stood and left the room silently. He walked down the hall and climbed onto the Condor roof.

Someone was already there.

Piper.

Aerrow turned and got ready to leave, but she heard the hatch open. Piper turned around and faced him.

"Aerrow, would you define yourself as crazy? Because I'm sorely tempted to do so," she growled. "That's the Dark FRIGGIN Ace. What are you doing?"

"I've been asking myself the same question, Piper. But you wouldn't believe me, even if I told you."

"Aerrow, you don't have to be that goody-goody Sky Knight you're trained to be anymore! The Dark Ace has a black history with your family!"

"Piper, what if one day, your worst enemy, someone like Master Cyclonis, came up to you under a flag of truce, and told you she wanted to forgive you? And that all it took to make it final was for you to forgive her as well?"

"I'd punch her in the face," Piper said, but her tone was not convincing and she knew it. "Okay...I'd listen. Maybe."

"Exactly. And what if I told you that my father told me he had forgiven the Dark Ace?"

"He what? Aerrow, you do realize your father's dead, don't you? He can't just pop out of nowhere! I mean..." She stopped when she saw the pained look on Aerrow's face.

"I knew it. You won't believe me. But it's true. And he told me..." Aerrow paused, trying to find the right words. "He said that I have to find it in myself to forgive. That the Dark Ace needs saving from himself. And I don't want to let him down. For a hallucination, he talks a lot of truth. And I'm going to try."

"I trust you, Aerrow. I trust your judgement. And...I guess I believe you too."

Aerrow shook his head. "I don't think you DO trust me, Piper." The red head turned and started for the hatch.

"Aerrow, if this is about three months ago..." Piper began, but Aerrow cut her off with a pained stare. She could only watch him disappear again.


	21. Chapter 21

If stars were tears, then the sky is weeping floodlights tonight.

Empty doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

Sorrow doesn't even begin to describe what this pain is inside me.

It's like all I want is for him to understand that love is something I never got a chance to feel until now.

Doesn't he know that his arms are all I need, that his eyes are my soul, that deep inside, all that is good in me has been poured into wanting him? Doesn't he feel the same for me? Whenever I see him, my heart thumps, and if he talks to me, I smile, and if he smiles back, it's like something inside crumples. Sweetly broken. Is that possible, or is it just what I came up with to explain my feelings? Can I be sweetly broken inside? Can this love be possible?

I'm the happiest person in the world, and yet the saddest and most empty soul, loving him.

* * *

The moon is like a smile tonight, but what he has to smile about I don't know.

She doesn't know. How can she? She doesn't know about the pain inside me, how my brain wants to explode when I see her, how her touch makes me warm, how her lips set me on fire. If love were a killer, then I've died ten thousand times over for her. If love is water, I drowned a long time ago. If love is pain, I'm screaming. And if love is a tear, just a single tear, then it's already been shed and dried.

Her beautiful dark skin, her amber eyes, her slim figure. I need her. The day she leaves is the day I die. I don't remember when I fell in love with her, but I know I'll never fall out. The world can crumble, Atmos can be conquered, the Dark Ace can win. All that matters is her. If I can't love her, then what can I do?

All this time, I've been hiding from myself what I really care about. If I was a different person, if I wasn't a hero, a warrior, could she have me? Could she feel the same way? The night used to comfort me, but this blue reminds me of her.

I had a million reasons to leave. Her anger, her rejection, her tears...

Then I remember what she looks like. How much we've been through.

And the million reasons I had for moving on disappear.

* * *

**So I was listening to Jeff Buckley sing Hallelujah, and it reminded me of Aerrow and Piper for some reason. Just that pain, that feeling of unspoken love. I had to write it down, so I decided to do a chapter from their point of view.**

**Sorry it's not really part of the story line, but I felt compelled to explore their feelings a bit more. **


	22. Chapter 22

Cyclonis lay on her bed, her hand resting gently on her swollen belly. The tiny bulge was beginning to show.

She felt so alone. No one but the Dark Ace had understood her. And now he was gone.

She hated to believe that he was no longer her. Part of Cyclonis's mind still clung to the dream that he had somehow survived a fall from five hundred feet. She rarely left her room now, the tiny space her only solace. Cyclonis turned over on the bed and faced the window. Outside, night had fallen once more. The red skies choked out the stars. She wished she could see them. They would always remind her of...him. Him, and the night they had spent on the cliff top, his eyes redder than the sky above, his voice so gentle, a side of him that only she knew. The child would've know that part of him as well. But the Storm Hawks had taken even that away from her.

She was too tired to plan, now, however. The only ideas she had were what to do when the baby came. He had promised he wouldn't leave. But promises are meant to be broken. Everything was broken.

* * *

Dark Ace awoke from a deep slumber again, his head swimming. He felt cold. He looked down to see that someone had removed his shirt.

"Gah!" he barked in alarm, yanking at the covers. His arm brushed something familiar. He bent over as far as the chain would allow him to investigate.

It was his shirt and armor. The shirt had been mended nicely, a neat line of stitches covering the arrow hole. _That's strange,_ he thought. _Aerrow didn't look like a sewing kind of person. Unless it was't Aerrow...What was that girl's name? Pippin? Pitcher? Piper! Yes, that was it. Perhaps the Storm Hawks weren't as ignorant as they appeared to be. _

Dark Ace realized that in order to take off his shirt (which he still shuddered at) the person must've unchained him. Darn it, if he'd been awake, instead of asleep like a dead man, he could've gotten out.

The door opened.

Dark Ace didn't move; he wouldn't risk the sheets falling.

It was Aerrow. He was holding his sword, the blue cutting through the darkness like a ship through black water: Easily, with no resistance, eeriely, with a dark mystique. Dark Ace grunted.

"What is it this time?"

Aerrow walked forward, and the Dark Ace could see he had been crying. The human side of him wanted to ask what was going on, but the darker side, which happened to be the side that won, could care less. Aerrow picked up his sword. The Dark Ace flinched, but he had no reason to do so. Aerrow grabbed Dark Ace's chained hand and placed the fizzing blade against the chain.

The sword sliced cleanly through the metal, leaving a smoky odor and an exuberant Dark Ace.

"You're free," Aerrow whispered.

"How long have I been here, anyway?" the Dark Ace said, still refusing to sit up.

"A week and a half, give or take a day or so. I'm not counting."

"Hmph. And what happened to the prisoner exchange?"

"Gave up on the idea. I'd rather attack Cyclonia and free the prisoners myself."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"I'll show you the skimmers."

"I know the way," the Dark Ace said, agitated. "And could you please leave me alone to dress?" he growled. Aerrow shrugged and turned around.

"Just hurry it up," the red head said, his voice muffled. The Dark Ace snarled before sliding his shirt on, wincing at the pain in his shoulder.

"Done." He stood and slipped on his armor and head gear. Aerrow turned around with a blank expression on his face. The Dark Ace followed the teen out of the room and towards the hanger bay. Aerrow walked the hallways with a familiarity the Dark Ace found only in the palace of Cyclonia, and he found a tinge of envy begin to creep into his mind.

The skimmers in the hanger bay stood in an orderly line, their metal armor glistening. The Dark Ace stood and admired them silently, wondering where the spare one was. Aerrow walked over to his own ride and lifted the kickstand. The Dark Ace raised his eyebrows.

"You're giving me your own skimmer?" he said incredulously.

"Here. I assume you know how to ride it. And here's food and water to last a week," Aerrow said, throwing a bag at the Dark Ace, who caught it and peered inside. There was a sheet of paper and a package of what looked like some kind of cake, plus a canteen. Aerrow motioned towards the seat. The Dark Ace took out the paper.

"Read it later," Aerrow said. "For now, you have to go."

"Aerrow, you do realize that after this, I'll still kill you."

"That's what you say."

"Shut up, kid," the Dark Ace growled. He tossed his leg over the skimmer and sat down. The seat felt strangely foreign, but it would have to do. He nodded at Aerrow, a light good bye, and perhaps even a thanks, but both of them doubted it, before taking off. Storm clouds loomed. Aerrow watched the blue skimmer fade into the evening.

* * *

**The story's almost over! NOOOOOOOO! Just...sniff...keep...sniff...reading...sniffle.  
**


	23. Chapter 23

Dark Ace found a tiny terra to land on, somewhere close to the border between the two great kingdoms. His arm felt like ten thousand splinters had embedded themselves inside the bone, but he gritted his teeth and reached for the bag. He pulled out the letter and began to read.

_What I have to say is quick. It needn't take much time._

_My father was taken from me by you, and that in itself is reason to hate. But for some reason, I can't find it in myself to do so. Perhaps hate is what twists a human being into revulsion, into a monster. My father has made it clear, and don't ask how, that forgivness is the last great act, and that he forgives you. You can choose to ignore this letter, and toss it into the Wastelands, or you can choose to at least think about it._

_It's the same sky we live under, and the same world we fight to survive in. The stars are the only ones __who can testify your every action, other than yourself, and they aren't talking__. And when you die, you most certainly wish someone other than the stars to remember you._

_I hope that wherever you are, you are at least thinking about this. And remember, we're even now. You spared me, and now I have spared you. After today, we are enemies once more._

Enemies once more.

The Dark Ace let the letter flutter to the ground. He slid onto the skimmer and rode for home.

* * *

The two Talons on guard leaned lazily against the guns.

"Hey, Smoky, you got a fag?" the fat one said, holding out a hand.

"Yeah, here," Smoky said, tossing a small white cylinder at his friend. "Need a light, Chop?"

"Naw. And I thought ya guys were over calling me Chop!"

"Well, you'll graduate to Pork Chop soon enough." Smoky sat down on the dirt covered ledge, his grey eyes downcast. "Man, I need a vacation."

"Wish we could go to Terra Tropica," Chop said, agreeing. For once. Chop loved arguments. He took a long drag and turned towards the clouds.

"Yeah, that'd be nice...meet a nice girl, have a few drinks."

"Yeah...Hey, Smoky, what's that?" Chop said, pointing at a blue speck on the horizon.

"Dunno. Gimme that telescope." Chop dutifully handed his partner the golden tube. Smoky looked into it. His eyes widened. "Blue skimmer! Storm Hawks!"

"SOUND THE ALARM!" Chops howled. Immediately, the red lights began to blare, and a siren wailed through the once silent night. The guns were turned, and ammunition brought up.

"FIRE!"

* * *

Dark Ace saw the Cyclonian palace, and it comforted him to know that soon he would be home. He pulled out the last cake from his bag and started chewing.

_Damn, these are good_, he thought, and wondered who on the Condor baked. Suddenly, an alarm blared through the air.

_An alarm? I set off the...Shit! _He looked down and realized he was riding a blue skimmer. His eyes widened as the cannons started to go off. The Dark Ace tossed the cake aside and started dodging blasts, all the while shouting.

"Idiots, stop shooting!"

But they obviously couldn't hear him. _I have to find a place to land, _he thought. He saw a landing strip, but it was too heavily guarded. The closest place was a dusty ledge where two Talons stood, trying to fix a malfunctioning gun.

There was a jolt, then a crumpling sound. Dark Ace turned and saw that the entire left side of the skimmer had been torn off. The rip had stopped just short of his leg. The engine sputtered. The craft was falling. It would have to be the ledge. The Dark Ace leaned forward and seriously contemplated praying.

* * *

"Smokey, the gun won't work!"

"Whadya mean, 'The gun won't work'? It has to work! We have a Storm Hawk flying at us!"

"It's broken, man! What do we do?"

"CHOPS, HE'S GONNA CRASH!'

"What?"

"THE STORM HAWK! HE'S GONNA CRASH INTO US!"

"OH MY GOD! RUN!"

They bolted as the skimmer tore towards them, trailing smoke, and smelling of burning metal. Dark Ace closed his eyes as the ground rushed at him. His last thought before he blacked out was how he was going to tear apart the Talons when he woke up.

* * *

_God, where AM I? And man, what is that smell?_

A cold cloth was being pressed to Dark Ace's forehead, which wasn't helping, because he was already freezing. _No, I'm hot...Never mind, I'm cold...Now I'm boiling. _He wanted to see, and his brain sent signals to his eyelids to open, but it was as if they were locked shut.

"Ace?"

There was the key. His eyelids fluttered open. The pain came at him, a wave of burning, searing pain. His arm was the first area of interest; the arrow wound must have gotten infected. The entire shoulder felt as if it had been torn off, then sloppily slapped back into place. Then there was the matter of his leg. He knew it was broken; it wouldn't move. His lungs felt like giant bags of sea water. But the voice came again.

"Oh, good. You're up. I thought you'd died for a moment."

Dark Ace turned and saw Cyl. His heart sank when he realized it hadn't been her holding the cloth; rather, a gruff and foul smelling doctor was standing over him, holding a yellow rag. Dark Ace raised his eyebrows and immediately regretted it. Even that small movement made his head swim. Cyl rushed forward. Her belly looked larger, and her face looked older. The doctor moved towards the door.

"You may leave now," she said coldly. Dark Ace could see the worry in her eyes, however. The doctor bowed, then backed out of the room. The door closed with a soft click. Cyl stood there. Five...four...three...two...one...

"Oh, God, you're alive," she sobbed, and rushed forward, sitting down in the chair the doctor had just vacated. "You're alive." She gripped his hand. He looked down and saw her thin fingers twined around his large, bulky ones. He forced a smile, even though it hurt.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like a very tired...mop," he admitted. It was the first time he'd ever confessed a discomfort to her, other than annoyance, and it felt foreign to him. But her smile took away the feeling and made him feel whole again.

"So what happened...after the crash?" she asked. Her eyes searched him for the answer. He grimaced inside. _Should I tell her the truth? What do I say? "Well, honey, I was saved by my worst enemy, and he helped me out, and even gave me his own skimmer, but then our own Talons shot me down, and here I am!" _It sounded stupid, even in his head. So he lied.

"Well, I'm not sure what happened. I must've blacked out, because I woke up in a closet aboard the Condor."

"A...a closet?" Cyclonis said. Even her eyes looked disbelieving.

"I'm not sure. But they did interrogate me."

"You didn't say..."

"I said nothing, don't you worry. And they being the idiots that they were, left the door unlocked one night, and I snuck out, stole some food and a skimmer, and ran for it."

"And the arrow wound?"

Dark Ace seriously hated what he said next.

"Their sharpshooter must've done it."

"With a Firebolt Crystal?" Cyl said incredulously. This was not going well.

"He stole a few from Ravess; go ahead and ask her." _Please, Ravess, just play along with it, _he prayed. He couldn't believe he'd just passed up an opportunity to rat on his co-workers.

"Well, you're safe, and that's all that matters."

"And how is...HE?" the Dark Ace asked, nodding at her round belly. She subconsciously put a hand against her stomach and smiled.

"He's moving. Every day."

"Good. That means he's...alive?"

Cyl looked at Dark Ace blankly. "No, he's dead. It's a robot in my stomach." He raised his eyebrows. "Of course he's alive," Cyl moaned.

Dark Ace longed to reach out and hold her, but a little voice told him that that was impossible, so he satisfied himself with her hand in his. He smiled, a real, genuine smile, and she could only smile back. The two looked quite a sight, two evil rulers, smiling foolishly at eachother.

Dark Ace only had one word for this.

Heaven.


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay, this one is to unicornmaddy, SakariWolf, and Unleash the Shadow. Y'all know why you're up here. SMILE!**

* * *

Ravess brushed aside her magenta hair and concentrated on her work. If three Talons covered the flank...no, that wouldn't work, she needed them to cover the right...but then...

A door slammed. Ravess snapped her head up.

"Snipe, what do you want?"

"Hey, sis, you got a moment?" Snipe asked. Ravess rolled her golden eyes and stood.

"What is it?" she asked. "I do actually have a JOB, unlike some people," she said, gesturing at the large pile of crystals and maps on the table.

"Unlike...who?" Snipe asked, his brow furrowed.

"Never mind. Just...get it over with," the sharpshooter snapped.

"I need you to hear something."

"If this is that crappy music you insist on listening too..." Ravess began, but Snipe shook his head.

"No, it's a weird noise, coming from Master Cyclonis's studio. It sounds familiar, like I've heard it before, but not THAT familiar, like apple pie, because I don't get apple pie that much and-"

"Snipe, what does it sound like?" Ravess asked, her hands on her hips. Her colored lips felt dry, her eyes felt sore. She really did need more sleep.

"Like...a giggle."

"A GIGGLE? SNIPE, YOU INTERRUPT MY WORK BECAUSE OF A--A GIGGLE?" Ravess roared.

"But Master Cyclonis never giggles! It must be an intruder!" Snipe pressed. Ravess calmed. For once, Snipe actually made sense.

"Alright, I'll go investigate. But if it turns out to be nothing, Snipe, I swear..."

Snipe gulped. "Okay," he whispered. Ravess grabbed her bow and arrows before striding out the door, strutting on her tip-toes as usual. Snipe lumbered after her, the two making quite a pair.

Ravess's mind wandered to Dark Ace's "arrival" home. It seemed strange, though, that he hadn't ratted her out yet. She was still waiting, losing sleep, worrying. When he had first come to Cyclonia, she had been just a girl, and he just a boy. The two had been the same age, and he had intruiged her: His dark hair, his transparent eyes, so pale that the people branded him as a ghost. She'd almost liked him. But he had turned out just the same as all the others: Power hungry, no respect for his subordinates. She had become just another face to boss around.

Ravess arrived outside of the throne room and put her ear to the door. Silence. She stepped forward, the doors clicking open for her and Snipe automatically. Master Cyclonis was standing on the podium, Dark Ace just next to her, a heavy white bandage across his shoulder. He had recently recovered. She must have been briefing him on what he'd missed.

"Ravess? Is that you?" he said, turning, a surprised look on his face. Did he look different? He looked...almost handsome. Ravess stumbled.

"Snipe thought he heard a foreign sound. I came to investigate."

"And what sound would that be?" Cyclonis said softly.

"He said he heard a giggle," Ravess said, annoyed. "And since you never giggle, Master, he assumed it was an intruder. But he must have misheard." Snipe nodded.

"Well, as you can see, it's just me and the Dark Ace in here. So don't worry. Oh, and Ravess, is it true the Storm Hawk sharpshooter stole a few arrows of yours in that last battle?"

"N-" Ravess began, but the Dark Ace was looking at her, nodding his head. He was actually covering for her!

"Yes. Not sure how, but he did," Ravess said coolly.

"Good. I was wondering how the Dark Ace was shot by a Firebolt Crystal." Cyclonis didn't even turn. Dark Ace was grinning. Ravess looked at him, puzzled.

"Why are you smiling, Dark Ace?" Ravess asked.

"Just glad to be back," he remarked, and moved towards Master Cyclonis again.

Ravess and Snipe backed out of the room.

Whatever had happened to the Dark Ace while he was gone, Ravess liked it.

* * *

Aerrow had watched the Dark Ace disappear, then clobbered himself. They would have to go to the supply depot later for a new skimmer.

He had gone back to his room, stepped into the shower, clothes and all, and let the hot water stream over him. _I wonder how he'll turn out. I wonder if he and Master Cyclonis are going to end up getting married...ech...I wonder if dad is resting a little more peacefully now._

Someone knocked on the door. Aerrow stepped out, grabbed a towel, and dried his face. He opened the door a crack.

"Hey, man, why's your skimmer missing? And why are you WET?" Finn asked.

"Long story."

"Is he asleep?"

"Who?"

"Who else? The Dark Ace!"

"Oh, him. He's gone. I gave him my skimmer and a few of Piper's cakes."

"YOU GAVE HIM YOUR SKIMMER!? Dude, something is wrong with you, man."

"Yeah, been hearing that a lot lately."Aerrow opened the door fully and started drying himself.

"Man, you gonna explain what's up with you? I mean, you've been acting all weird, you don't sleep, and even when you do sleep, I swear you have nightmares, cus--" Finn stopped.

"Finn, how do you know about the nightmares?" Aerrow said slowly.

"You talk in your sleep, man. Something about 'Saving him!', and every now and again, 'Dad...', stuff like that."

Aerrow put his hands up to his face and let out a breath. "Finn, what do I do?"

"You start by telling me what the HELL is going on!"

Aerrow sat down on the bed and looked up at his friend. "I wish I knew, Finn. I really do."

"Aerrow, cut the philosophical crap."

"It's my dad."

"Who's dead."

"Yes, Finn, he's dead. And I don't know if I'm going crazy, but I see him. He came to me...and no, I swear it wasn't a dream. And he told me he wanted to forgive the Dark Ace. Said he wanted me to save him."

"Save who, the Dark Ace or your dad?"

"Both of them, I guess. Phyisically, I could only save the Dark Ace. And I did, didn't I?"

"You did the right thing, I guess. Hey, man, if you'd told us earlier--"

"I know you guys already worry too much over me. I didn't want you to think I was hallucinating."

"Man, give me one reason why I shouldn't believe you."

"Because it sounds stupid, even on this end," Aerrow said, pointing at himself. Finn rolled his eyes.

"You would never lie to me. And you don't hallucinate. Man, I believe you. Still, you need a new skimmer." Finn clapped Aerrow on the back.

"Thanks Finn. Is this why you came to talk to me?" Aerrow asked. Finn guiltily looked around the room.

"Man, I understand if you don't want to talk about this, but what is up between you and Piper?" Finn whispered. Aerrow stood and started for the door, a look of betrayal on his face. Finn rushed forward and blocked the door.

"Let me out, Finn!" Aerrow said. Finn shook his head.

"No. Not until you confess you love her."

"Finn, MOVE! Don't make me hit you!"

"I don't care. Aerrow, can't you tell the girl's hurting? Remember when we were in school? She loved you, even then. Every time you talk, man, she blushes, and you should hear her when you're off on a mission. It's always, 'I hope he's okay,' or 'Is he back yet?'. Man, she loves you so much, it's killing her. You saw what her blood did. Your true love, man! Do you understand what you're passing up? Do you hear her at night? She thinks we don't know, but she cries so hard, her room is drowning."

"She's made it clear she doesn't want me."

"Give her another chance."

"I've given her another chance!" Aerrow shouted. "I've tried! Finn, she wants a happy life! A life without some guy who just keeps dragging her down! She wants to be famous, to be brilliant, and she deserves that chance! Finn, I love her! I love her so much I think I'm going to DIE loving her, and the best way I can love her is to let her find her own way. Finn, it's not just her who cries at night," Aerrow choked out. Finn just stood there, flabbergasted at his friend's sudden outburst.

Suddenly the door opened again. Piper's slim face peeked in. Finn dove past her and into the hall, shouting something about Stork and a mop.

"You heard every word, didn't you?" Aerrow said through gritted teeth.

"Finn's idea," Piper squeaked. "Aerrow, I'm so sorry. I didn't know...and your dad...and Aerrow, why are you wet?"

"Like I said, long story."

"So you really do love me."

"Yes, Piper, I do. And sometimes loving means letting go, doesn't it?" he said. She nodded and walked towards the door.

"Why does it always have to end like this?" she said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She turned around.

"It's always one of us walking away."

Aerrow walked towards her, but she just shook her head and left. He sat down on the bed again. Somewhere in the distance, loud rock music blared, and drowned out the sobs of a tired navigator and a lonely Sky Knight.

* * *

**Bad ending, I know. A few more chappies left. Keep reading. I'll post the next one tonight (April 11)  
**


	25. Chapter 25

"Master, I seriously don't believe we're ready for a full blown attack," Ravess pressed.

"Ravess, I believe we are. The new recruits, how are they?" Cyclonis said.

"They're not ready!" Ravess barked. "With all due respect, Master, a few more weeks! We need time!"

"Atmos will not just lay down at our feet, and with Aerrow still alive, we need to strike hard, and strike fast. Give them no time for retaliation. We take the major terras first: Terra Glockenchime, Saharr, Blizaris, and Aquos. With these bases covered, the rest will be easy."

"And the Murk Raiders? What of Terra Deep?" Ravess asked.

Cyclonis glanced at Ravess without turning, a teasing look on her face. "We strike them a deal: If they help with the attack, we leave them alone."

"And if they don't?"

"We kill every last one of them."

"Do you intend to keep your promise?"

"I'll kill them all anyways," Cyclonis said offhandedly. Ravess smiled.

"Excellent," the sharpshooter said.

"Dark Ace has already been informed of the plan. Tomorrow, at dawn, we assemble on the main terra. I won't be going."

"Why not?" Ravess asked; it wasn't like Cyclonis to miss out on an opportunity like this. Cyclonis turned fully. Ravess let out an audible gasp.

A large bulge was starting to grow from Cyclonis's belly. The girl looked tired. No wonder she hadn't been talking much.

"Now you know," Cyclonis whispered.

"Who's the...oh." Ravess had a sudden realization. Dark Ace. Of course. Well, at least Cyclonia had an heir now. Cyclonis walked slowly towards Ravess.

"Most everyone knows by now. You're one of the last to find out. So no need to conceal. That's why I'm not going."

"Alright."

"Ravess, you look like you're going to have a heart attack."

"I would say that appearences are deceiving."

"You are dismissed."

"Master," Ravess said, bowing, and backed out of the hall. Cyclonis leaned tiredly against her work station. _I need more sleep. I wish queens had maternity leaves._ Word had gotten out somehow; some Talon grunt who had seen her, probably. The entire kingdom knew now. It was inevitible.

_Father would have found me a prince, a man of great title, _Cyclonis thought. _Yet I have my prince right here. Right here._

The door opened.

"Master."

"Dark Ace."

* * *

"Piper, hand me that wrench."

"Hmm?"

"Piper, the WRENCH!!"

"What?"

"PIPER!"

"What, Stork?"

Stork slid out from under Finn's skimmer, which had been having a few problems lately. "Piper, are you even listening?" Stork asked.

"What is it?" Piper said quietly.

"WRENCH?"

"Sorry, Stork. I'm a little preoccupied, aren't I?" Piper said, handing the Merb the desired item. Stork blew black hair from his face.

"Understatement of the century," he muttered, sliding back under the craft again. Piper let out a long sigh. Suddenly, she burst into tears. Stork was in such a rush to get out, he banged his head against a pipe and let out a yelp. Piper started laughing, then crying again.

"Piper! Calm down!" Stork said, massaging his head. He got up and watched as Piper's slim frame was racked with sobs.

"He loves me! And all I can do is sit here crying! I'm so STUPID! STUPID, STUPID!"

"Piper, calling yourself stupid won't make him come back!" Stork said. Piper stopped immediately.

"I live right next to him, and yet he's never seemed more far away," Piper whispered. Stork was about to try and comfort her when the intercom blared.

"Starling, incoming in five...four...three...two..." Finn's voice blared. Right on cue, a purple skimmer dove out of the clouds. She landed easily on the strip, converted to bike form, and pulled into the hanger bay.

"How are you Piper? Stork?" the Interceptor said cheerily. That is, until she noticed the gloomy looks on both of their faces.

"Aerrow?" Starling whispered to Stork.

"How did you know?" the Merb said sarcastically. Starling walked over to Piper and put a plated arm around the girl. Piper looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Starling. What is it?"

"We have a problem. The liberation of Atmosia has to happen, and fast. The Cyclonians are planning to attack the largest terras in Atmos."

"But we're still waiting for the other squadrons to help!" Piper exclaimed.

"No time. We hit, now. I'll help."

"The Dark Ace..."

"Aerrow's better, we have no time to lose. Atmosia, and fast." Stork nodded and ran for the helm. Piper and Starling dashed after him. They met up with Junko and Aerrow along the way. The red head had changed into dry clothes, thank goodness.

"Starling! What's up?" Junko asked. Starling explained the situation. Once at the helm, with Stork setting a course, Starling spread out a map.

"They're concentrating on Terra Saharr and Glockenchime. We need to liberate Atmosia, now, before we can help the others. If the symbol of Atmos remains in Cyclonian hands, the war may not turn out in our favor."

"War? What war?" Stork asked.

"This one. The Cyclonians started it with the attack on Atmosia. And WE have to end it," Starling said, pounding the table with her fist to make a point. The others nodded and got serious. Three tense hours passed before Stork announced that if they went any closer, the Talons would see them. Piper had devised a plan.

Junko and Finn were to be the diversions. With the Talons chasing the two around the terra, Aerrow, Radarr, and Starling could sneak in to the control center, located where the old city hall had been. If they could succeed in getting a few concerned citizens on their side, and free the prisoners in the jail, the terra could be theirs by sunset.

Everything went according to plan. Junko and Finn took off, shouting swear words at the Cyclonians, who tore after them, waving their weapons. Aerrow and Starling had glided down onto the terra, unspotted.

"There," Starling whispered, pointing at a large building, a Cyclonian flag waving on the roof. Aerrow took out his swords, Starling her nun chucks, and Radarr bared his teeth. The three crept to the back of the building. Three guards.

"We can take 'em," Aerrow said. Radarr chirped. Starling nodded before running out.

"HEY! YOU! Over here!" she shouted. The Talons raced after her. She rounded the corner and led them right to Aerrow. The Talons paused.

"Oh no," one of them muttered.

"Oh yeah!" Aerrow said, before jumping forward. With a few quick slashes, a pile of three unconscious Talons was all that was left of the guard. The three Storm Hawks strode confidently inside.

The hall had been given a paint job; the once silver blue walls were now black and red. No guards. Starling motioned towards the sign that pointed towards the stairs. It read "DUNGEONS". Aerrow, Starling, and Radarr walked down the stairway, the darkness steadily increasing, and the smell steadily worsening. Starling covered her nose; Radarr gagged. Aerrow let a small cough escape him. They arrived in a dim hallway, lined with cells. Inside, men cowered in the corners. Aerrow turned on his sword.

"Whoa," he said. The strongest and youngest men on the terra had been locked up. He sliced the lock on the nearest cage. The occupant stood and walked forward.

"Who are you?" the boy said; he couldn't have been older than Aerrow. He had fierce grey eyes and short, black hair.

"I'm Aerrow, a Storm Hawk. We're here to help." The boy smiled.

"Good. My name's Maverick. Good to meet you. We could use some assistance."

"Starling," Starling said, introducing herself. "And this is Radarr." Said Sky Monkey chirped.

"HEY! Let us out!" a few men shouted. Aerrow and Starling got to work, cutting bars and locks. They were almost done when...

"You there! STOP!" Five Talons tore down the hall after them. Maverick growled and lunged forward. A cloud of dust rose up, grunts and yelps coming from within. When the dirt settled, Maverick was wiping his hands on his pants. All five Talons lay in a crumpled heap around him.

"Wow. Nice skills," Aerrow said. The others nodded.

"Maverick was in training to be a Sky Knight before they got him," one of the prisoners said.

"Yeah, I want to build up the Red Eagles again. I heard a lot about you at the academy. I'm home on break. Looks like it was my bad luck to be here when the Cyclonians attacked," Maverick said to Aerrow. The red head smiled.

"You guys, grab their staffs," Starling said to the ex-prisoners. They walked forward and took the crystal staffs that had belonged to the Talons a mere five minutes ago. They smiled.

"Payback time," Maverick said.

"Now who wants to kick some Cyclonian BUTT!?" a man shouted. They started up the stairs.


	26. Chapter 26

Maverick proved himself a fine fighter.

Aerrow watched in amazement as the boy punched and jabbed his way through a crowd of Talons, single handed. The Sky Knight wondered how anyone had managed to put this little fireball into a cell.

The other prisoners fought with a vengeance, determination written across their eyes. They used the Talon staffs with deadly skill. Any one of them could've served in a Sky Knight squadron. Aerrow and Starling were impressed.

The group fought their way out of the City-Hall-turned-dungeon and into the city. Captured citizens turned with hopeful eyes as the jail birds took on every and any Talon that dared enter striking range. Aerrow and Starling barely had to do a thing. Radarr remained perched on Aerrow's shoulder, grimacing as Talons were whacked senseless.

As soon as the majority of the Talons had been taken care of, Aerrow raced back to his skimmer. He radiod the Condor.

"Stork, come in. Stork, Piper, come in!"

The other end was silent.

Dead silent.

* * *

Piper had watched the others take off with envy. She wanted to fight as well. But Stork needed help on the ship. Piper sat down on the cold floor of the hanger bay, her arms twined around herself. She felt so cold.

The alarm blared, and Piper shook aside her mixed feelings and ran to the helm. Stork was glued to the periscope. When he pulled away, his eyes were bulging.

"Stork, who is it?"

"Who else?"

Piper looked through the periscope, and saw a red skimmer, blades potruding from the wings, and a familiar rider. A slim, muscular figure, jet black hair blowing in the wind, was leaning forward, a blazing sword in his hands.

But it wasn't the Dark Ace that scared Piper the most. It was what was following him.

Hundreds, no, thousands of Talons, streaming in a long line of red and silver plating, flew out of the clouds. At least five carriers and battleships followed in their wake. Ravess, Snipe, and even Repton flew alongside Dark Ace. Master Cyclonis had sent her entire army. Starling had been right.

"Stork! Run for it!" Piper shouted. Stork sped to the controls and hit the accelerator, but he wasn't fast enough. The Condor had been spotted. The skies rumbled with cannon fire as the Cyclonian cruisers blasted the Condor mercilessly. Piper and Stork were thrown like rag dolls around the room.

"They've knocked out our antennae! The others can't radio us anymore!" Stork shouted.

"STORK! Steer for Atmosia! It's our best shot!" Piper wailed. "DO IT!"

"But the Talons...and where do we land?"

"Would you rather die here, and fall to the Wastelands, or die on a nice, solid terra?" Piper shouted.

"I'd rather not die at all, thank you very much," Stork growled. He leapt to the controls and turned towards Terra Atmosia. The skimmers tore after them, the Dark Ace firing shot after shot at the engines. The Condor was valiently trying to stay in the air. Finally, Atmosia came into view, and Stork crash landed on a high crest outside of the city. The hull of the ship scraped against the gagged rocks and made a piercing screech. Stork flailed around, his arms flying wildly. Piper stood, her head swimming. The Condor jolted with the impact of every energy blast. Piper grabbed crystal staff and raced outside, Stork shouting after her to come back. She dove out onto the dusty ground and fired shot after shot into the swarm of Talons. They fired back. Piper ran for the city.

Upon arrival, she realized that Aerrow and Starling had succeeded in their part of the mission. Unconscious Talons lay in heaps.

"Piper!"

"Hey!" Piper turned around to see Aerrow, Radarr, and Starling leading a little band of warriors.

"We did it! Piper, this is Maverick," Aerrow said, introducing their new found friend.

"Hey," Piper said casually. Maverick looked dumbstruck. All he could manage as he looked at Piper was a grunt. Aerrow threw the boy a mean stare.

"Guys! Guys, Talons! Hundreds of them!" The group looked up to see Finn and Junko circling over head.

"HUNDREDS?" Maverick shouted. "Who's leading them?"

"D-D-DARK ACE!" Junko howled. Aerrow gritted his teeth.

"Who's got a skimmer?" he asked the group. A few raised their hands. Aerrow nodded.

"Alright, we'll try to find a few Talon rides, see what we can do," Starling said. The group split up quickly. Aerrow grabbed Piper's arm.

"How's the Condor?" he asked her.

"It's down. We've lost radio use, and all engines are dead. Stork's fine."

"Good. By the way..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Go, get your Heliscooter." Aerrow let her go. Piper raced down the silent road. Aerrow sighed and went to his own skimmer. Radarr was already sitting in his seat, tapping his fingers impatiently. Aerrow jumped behind the controls and took off. Starling was already in the air.

About ten skimmers of varying shape and size took off from Atmosia, their riders as mixed as the rides. Maverick had his own craft, and was busy adjusting the windshield. Aerrow signaled towards the dark cloud that was the Talon force.

"Guys, we can do this! Attack!" Starling shouted. Aerrow's heart pounded as a small dot in the distance rose from the wreck of the Condor. Piper was flying towards them. Starling led the way as the little band flew forward, battle cries stirring in their throats.

Dark Ace's skimmer tore towards them, red blasts searing the air around them. Ravess, Snipe, Repton, and his cronies slid off to the sides.

"Aerrow! I'm going to go--" Starling began.

"Go, Starling," Aerrow shouted. She broke away from the group towards Repton. He snarled and licked his lips. She grimaced. The two clashed high above the terra, Repton's bright yellow boomerang slicing against Starling's purple nun chucks. The air was filled with the smell of crystal energy.

"Aerrow. So nice to see you again," the Dark Ace shouted.

"Sorry I can't say the same for you, Dark Ace," Aerrow said. He pulled out his daggers and leaped onto the wings of his craft. Dark Ace did the same. The two skimmers tore towards eachother before the men collided, red and blue sparks creating purple. Aerrow leapt into the air and landed neatly on the Dark Ace's skimmer. Dark Ace growled before turning and resuming the fight.

"How's...the...arm?" Aerrow grunted.

"Fine...what's...it...to ya?" the Dark Ace growled back.

"This is proof I'm crazy," the two men said at the same time. They both furrowed their brows before breaking apart, panting. Aerrow raised his daggers up. Dark Ace lunged forward and knocked the red head from the skimmer. Radarr dove beneath Aerrow and caught him. Aerrow pulled up until the two crafts were level.

Meanwhile, Piper and Maverick were fighting two Talons.

"On your tail!" Piper shouted to Maverick. He abruptly turned his craft and sent it streaking at the other.

"CHICKEN!" Maverick shouted as the other craft dove out of the way. Piper fired a blast at it from her Crystal Staff, hitting the engine and sending the skimmer to the Wastelands. The driver dove from his battered craft and parachuted to the terra below.

Starling and Repton had chased each other so that they were directly above the terra. Starling leapt into the air and sent a blade of white hot energy at Repton, who dodged it. He disappeared into the clouds above. Starling looked around. Suddenly, a streak of yellow dove out of the sky.

"STARLING! LOOK OUT!" Aerrow shouted.

But it was too late. The Interceptor turned in time to see the boomerang tear towards her. It sliced across her stomach, trailing blood. Repton came into view, a sneer on his lizard face. Starling gasped, her hands trying to staunch the flow of red liquid. A Talon tore by, cutting her skimmer's engine. She started falling. Aerrow flew away from the Dark Ace and caught his friend just before she hit the terra. A faint moan drifted from her reddened lips. Ribbons of blood streaked across her uniform. Aerrow landed.

"Starling! You can't die...no...no," he gasped, setting her down on the ground. Her light green eyes opened and looked at him.

"Piper..." Starling gasped. Just in time, Piper landed a few feet away and dashed to Starling's side.

"Starling, you're going to live!" Piper said, gripping the female Sky Knight's hand.

"Aerrow..." the Interceptor whispered.

"What?" Aerrow said, leaning in.

"Be good to Piper. Love her. And get Repton for me...okay?"

"You'll get him yourself! You won't die!" Aerrow shouted. "Starling, no!" But her eyes had already closed. She drew one last, pained breath before letting it out. Then she was still. Aerrow let the hot tears flow freely, dripping onto his friend's face. The last of the Interceptors was gone.

Aerrow stood, his body drenched in still warm blood. A few feet away lay Starling's nun chucks. He picked them up and gripped them. Looking up, the Sky Knight saw the familier leathery wings of Repton's skimmer. Aerrow took out his own daggers and leapt onto his craft.

"Aerrow, what're you doing?" Piper shouted.

"Avenging Starling," Aerrow shouted back. He allowed Radarr to jump on board before taking off. The Raptors closed in on him. He wheeled around, wiped away the tears, and slashed at the air. A curve of blue energy whipped them back. It was just him and Repton now.

"Give it your best shot, human," Repton hissed. Aerrow dove right at him and knocked the Raptor from his seat. Repton roared as Aerrow and he plumetted towards the ground. Aerrow's wings sprang out as he dragged a battered Repton across the terra before dumping him against a rock. Aerrow pressed his blue dagger to Repton's scaley throat.

"Give me one reason," Aerrow growled. The sound that came from the red head's throat was barely human. Repton whimpered.

"Aerrow, no! Killing him will bring you to his level! You don't want that!" Piper shouted. Aerrow looked at her, then Repton. He sighed before turning off his sword. He kicked the Raptor in the stomach. Repton snarled.

"They're retreating!" Maverick shouted from the sky. "They're leaving!"

And the boy was right: the Talons started to pull away from the terra, minus one very scaly member. Victory...yet it felt like the greatest loss. While the others chained Repton up, Aerrow and Piper went back to Starling's bloodied body. Junko walked over and gently lifted her.

The Storm Hawks buried their friend on the outskirts of Terra Atmosia the next morning. And as they walked away with tears in their eyes, for the first time they felt a real lust for revenge, softly being nursed in their saddened hearts.

Aerrow had but one thought: _God help any Talon that dares cross our paths now_.


	27. Chapter 27

Repton struggled fruitlessly against the rope bonds that fastened him to the chair aboard the Condor. His muffled snarls echoed through the empty room. Aerrow watched him from the doorway. Finn walked up behind his friend.

"And how is our prisoner?" the sharpshooter asked bitterly. Aerrow turned and looked at his friend with disgust.

"I really don't care how he is, Finn," Aerrow snarled.

"You got a point there," Finn muttered. Aerrow walked into the room and tore the duct tape from Repton's mouth. The Raptor roared in pain.

"That...was unece_ssssss_ary," Repton said.

"I know, but it was fun," Aerrow said, waving the grey strip around. The duct tape had a few stray scales attached to it. Aerrow tossed it over his shoulder and sat down opposite Repton. The Sky Knight had never used this room. All the time they'd spent on the Condor, the interrogation room was a place they never looked at without shuddering. But now, the Storm Hawks were busy relishing every moment of Repton's imprisonment.

"What...do you want?" Repton growled.

"I want YOU to give me info. What is Cyclonis planning?"

"Cyclonis tells me nothing. I know absolutely nothing until the last _sssssss_econd of the plan."

"Hm. And I'm supposed to believe that."

"Yes."

Aerrow looked at Repton with hatred seared into the bright green eyes. Repton chuckled.

"You miss your Interceptor friend?" he hissed.

"Shut up," Aerrow growled.

"I relished finishing her off. It's like completing a painting, or the last piece of a collection. The Interceptors was one group I enjoyed blasting from the skies. And their Sky Knight...Starling, wasn't it?...was my greatest catch."

"YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT STARLING THAT WAY, YOU SON OF A B--" Aerrow lunged forward across the table and clobbered Repton about the head. Finn ran in and pulled his commander off the Raptor.

"Calm down!" Finn said.

"Why did you do that?" Aerrow panted. Finn smiled wickedly.

"I wanted a piece of him myself," the blonde said. Finn stepped forward and punched Repton squarely across the jaw. The Raptor grunted and spat out a trickle of blood. He glared at the two men, who were smiling smugly at him.

"How dare you..." Repton began. Aerrow silenced him with a fresh application of duct tape.

"Nice," Finn remarked dryly. The two left Repton to his own squeals.

* * *

"So what do we do now?" Finn asked as he and Aerrow walked out of the Condor. Stork and Junko were still working on the engines, but things went easier than expected due to the helping hands they got from the Atmosians. The entire terra was greatful for their liberation. Aerrow turned to look at Finn.

"I don't know. Starling would've known, though. She and Piper would've come up with a great plan. And...and..." Aerrow trailed off. Finn nodded sadly. The two cast their eyes towards the slowly rising sun. The city would wake up soon.

"HEY!" a voice shouted. Aerrow turned around in time to see Maverick stagger into view. He was holding a pile of boxes so high you could barely see his head.

"What is that?" Finn asked. Maverick gently set his load down and stretched.

"Ammo. Found these crystals in the City Hall. Cyclonian Firebolts."

"Eeeeeexellent," Finn said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's have a look-see..." Aerrow stopped his friend from opening the crate.

"Finn, let Piper take a look at them. You DO remember what happened the last time we played around with Cyclonian crystals, don't you?"

"You sound like Piper..." Finn groaned, rolling his eyes. But the blonde backed away and allowed Maverick and Aerrow to carry the boxes inside. Piper looked up from the many charts scattered on the table and watched the two men dump the boxes on the floor.

"What's that?" she yawned.

"Firebolts...we think," Maverick said. "I'm pretty good at recognizing crystals. I, uh, I hear you're a crystal expert," the boy said, slyly raising an eyebrow. Piper blushed; Aerrow fumed in the corner.

"Let me take a look," Piper said. She pried the lid off of one of the boxes. A familiar glow met her gaze.

"Oh...my...gosh. These are HIGHLY refined! They're the kind the Dark Ace uses. If we can load these into our weapons...How many boxes ARE there?"

"Couple hundred," Maverick said. Aerrow's eyes burst out of their sockets.

"The Cyclonians had something BIG planned with these," Piper said, cautiously lifting a crystal from the box. "But now that we've got them...Which reminds me, Stork intercepted another message last night."

"More like THIS morning," Stork said. He and Junko came in, grease smeared and yawning. "Something about a mass attack being canceled."

"Looks like freeing Atmosia did more than we expected," Junko remarked.

Finn came running in, hair all askew, blushing strawberry red. "You will NOT believe who's here," he laughed.

"Who? Who?" Junko asked cheerily.

"Her name--"

"Of course it's a girl," Piper muttered.

"Be quiet. Her name rhymes with LOVE!"

"Glove? Above?" Junko guessed. Stork rolled his eyes.

"DOVE! Dove's here!" Finn shouted. Aerrow grinned.

"Dove's here! And Wren?" the Sky Knight asked. Finn sagged. "I'll take that as a yes," Aerrow remarked. Sure enough, the familiar clank of cookery was coming from outside. The Storm Hawks walked outside to greet their friends. Dove, Wren, and a very plum chicken stood next to a battered skimmer.

"Where's Radarr? His girlfriend's here," Aerrow laughed.

"Starling's grave," Piper said. Aerrow stopped smiling.

"Chicken Hawks! And 'ow are you, my brrrave fellow?" Wren asked Aerrow. Aerrow gave a weak smile as Wren spit into the palm of his hand and held it out. Aerrow gingerly shook with him before wiping off the inferior liquid on his pants.

"Dove! How's it goin'?" Finn asked. The dark haired girl smiled at him.

"I am very well, sanks to all of you. Terra Gale is onze again a great kingdom."

"Really? Oh. Do, do you want a tour of the Condor?" Finn asked. She giggled and took his arm. They walked aboard the ship, Finn grinning wider then the Storm Hawks had ever seen.

Maverick rushed out of the ship to meet Wren.

"And who is zis young one?" Wren asked.

"I'm Maverick, Sky Knight in training," Maverick said. Aerrow quickly intervened before Wren could produce another wet handshake.

"Erm, Wren, what're you doing here?"

"To help! Our neighbors, Terra Aquos and Terra Splint, have been conquered. Terra Gale could verry well be next!"

"Well, we could use anyone. Piper, you have any ideas? Piper?" Aerrow said, loooking up. Both she and Maverick were gone. Wren noticed Aerrow was clenching his fists so hard, his knuckles stood out.

"Iz zomething wrong?" the old man asked.

"Oh, there will be," Aerrow said, and stomped off. The other Storm Hawks just shrugged.

Aerrow heard voices from the back of the Condor. He walked over and saw Maverick, holding Piper's _hand, sweet talking her...How dare he...How...He..._Aerrow marched over and tapped Maverick on the shoulder. The boy whipped around.

"Erm, Maverick, I need Piper. You mind letting go of her?" Aerrow said testily. Maverick laughed.

"Sorry. See you later, Pip." Piper giggled and followed Aerrow to the front of the ship.

"Pip? _PIP? _He has a nickname for you? A LAME nickname, at that..." Aerrow muttered.

"I think somebody's jealous," Piper said teasingly.

"I'm not jealous, I just think he's a distraction from your work."

"Uh-huh. So you go stomping after me and drag him away. Whatever..."

"You have a plan?"

"Yes. It's a crazy plan, but..."

"I like crazy. Hit me."

"Alright. We go full force. We concentrate on the Cyclonian terra, hit them before they can hit us. We have the crystal power to arm several terras. We contact ALL of the allies we've made this past year: Absolute Zeros, Rex Guardians, Third Degree Burners, all of them. We attack, we strike them down."

"Every single Sky Knight and their squadrons in the Atmos? That's CRAZY! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"In other words..." Piper grinned.

"Let's do it."


	28. Chapter 28

Harrier and his squadron were busy practicing their flight maneuvers, when the radio boy came running onto the training grounds.

"What is it?" Harrier shouted down, over the roar of the engines.

"It's the Storm Hawks! They want to talk to you!" the boy shouted. "Something about a mission!"

Harrier chuckled and landed quickly. Something told him this was going to be big.

* * *

"Triton! Triton, a message, via radio," Horace said, padding into the bar. Triton looked up from his food.

"What is it, me brother?"

"Tis the Storm Hawks. They say they have a mission. A big one, an attack on Cyclonia!"

"Tell them we're in," Triton said, smiling. He gulped down the last of his Sky beer started for his ship.

* * *

Suzy Lu was popping gum when the radio crackled.

"Suzy Lu, come it, I repeat, come in. This is Piper, of the Storm Hawks."

Suzy bounded over to the transmitter. "I copy. What's up, Piper?"

"You want to do something really crazy?"

"I'm listening," Suzy Lu said, chewing on her gum furiously.

"How about an attack on the Cyclonian empire?"

"We'll do it. Meet you over Atmosia, eh?"

"Deal."

Suzy Lu hung up and raced outside. "BILLY REX, GET YOUR MANGY SELF OVER HERE, AND GRAB YOUR RIDE! WE'VE GOT A MISSION!"

* * *

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO POKE ME!" Burner shouted.

"Sorry," Blister said, annoyed. "I'm dead hot, and dead bored."

"Hey, the radio," Burner said. He picked up the earpiece.

"Burner, old pal, remember us? The Storm Hawks?" Aerrow's voice crackled.

"What is it?"

"Big mission. We attack Cyclonia. You want in?"

"You bet."

"See you over Atmosia." Aerrow's end clicked. Burner hung up and smiled at Blister.

"I think I've just found a way to cure that boredom of yours," he chuckled.

* * *

"I think that's everyone," Aerrow said. He kept the radio on, in case anyone else called.

Stork was sitting at the table, pouring over a sheet of paper.

"Is that...another will?" Aerrow asked. Stork nodded.

"Aerrow, would you mind if I leave my Brain-Scanner to Finn? It's just...I think he needs it more," Stork said apolegetically.

"Um, I'm good," Aerrow muttered. He walked over to the crystal lab, where Piper was inspecting the Firebolts and recallibrating them to be used in cannons and arrows. Aerrow knocked softly on the door.

"How's it going?"

"Fine."

"Good." Aerrow left before she could say much else; he was still sore over her relationship with Maverick. Speaking of which...

"Aerrow, the Third Degree Burners are here," the Sky Knight-in training said, walking over. "Where should they go?"

"Tell them to make camp on the southern hills. We'll figure out where to put the Absolute Zeros later."

"Okay. Oh, and Aerrow?'

"What?

"Is Piper...um, is she available?"

Aerrow restrained himself from punching the kid in the face. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just...I really like her...and I want to ask her out."

"Sure...whatever," Aerrow said through gritted teeth.

"You okay? You look a little...mad," Maverick said cautiously.

"I'm fine," Aerrow muttered, before storming out. Maverick shook it off and ran to Piper's room. She looked up at his arrival.

"Hey, Maverick. What is it? Are you sick?"

"No, why?" he asked, puzzled.

"Your face is red," Piper remarked. She bent down again and kept on working. Maverick watched her slim frame move; she was sooooo pretty...

"Piper, um, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Would you...Do you think you could...I dunno, go out with me sometime?" he asked. She snapped her head up, a look of shock on her face. He immediately regretted asking.

"Maverick, I'm so sorry, and it's not that I don't like you, but--"

"It's Aerrow, isn't it?" Maverick said finally. Piper was silent, but he could read it in her eyes. _Maverick, you block head, you've seen them together, you should've guessed. Oh well. _Maverick sighed and left. Piper moaned silently to herself and went back to work.

* * *

The bright noon sun beat down on the arriving squadrons. Aerrow moved through the city, the diversity of people astounding him. Civilians had graciously opened up their homes to temporarily house the many Sky Knights and their teams.

"Aerrow, I've heard a lot about you," a lightly accented voice said. He turned and saw two slim women, war paint on their faces.

"You're Alana, aren't you? Sky Knight of the Screaming Queens," he said, smiling. She bowed. He nodded politely.

"We are here to offer any assistance possible," Alana said. "This is my second in command, Basta."

"Pleased to meet you," Aerrow said. Basta gave a cold nod. Alana gave Basta an elbowing.

"Sorry for Basta's...disposition. She is a little wary of strangers," Alana explained. "We are all very happy to be here. There are twenty of us, all fresh from Amazonia. We'll do anything."

"You guys have a good mechanic? Our carrier is still malfunctioning."

"I would be pleased to send help."

"You think we should trust these peope?" Basta said suddenly. "Lend them a mechanic? How do we know they are not here to trick us?"

"You don't have to be a part of this, you know," Aerrow said. Alana smiled again.

"Don't worry. We trust you. Most of us, anyway." Alana and Basta bowed again before departing. Aerrow shuddered; Basta was a character, that was for sure.

After greeting Harrier and his Guardians, Aerrow returned to the ship for lunch. Smoke rose from the blacksmith's shops, and from the many fireplaces that dotted the terra. Aerrow was pleased. Radarr came running over, chirping anxiously. Aerrow saw a chicken, winking shyly from behind a crate. Radarr's eyes widened in fear. Aerrow allowed his friend to climb back onto his shoulder before entering the cool interior of the Condor.

Piper was there to meet him.

"I guess I should congratulate you," he said bitterly.

"Whadya mean?" she said innocently.

"You and Maverick," he said. "Didn't he ask you out?"

"Well, yes, but Aerrow, I said no."

"Y-you did?" Aerrow said, his face brightening. Piper smiled teasingly.

"I thought I'd already made it clear who I liked." The navigator gave Aerrow a quick peck on the cheek. He blushed. She bounced down the hall, leaving a pleased Aerrow and a very embarrassed Radarr.

Stork came clomping over, an Amazonian girl following him, giggling.

"Something wrong, Stork?" Aerrow asked.

"YES! Why did you send...HER?" the Merb said, pointing a green finger at the still laughing girl.

"I thought you might need some help."

"Well, she's not helping. And tell her to stop...giggling, it gives me Mind worms."

"Just give her a chance," Aerrow said. The girl smiled at Stork. He rolled his eyes and left, muttering something about cutting Aerrow out of his will entirely.

Aerrow looked around. They were ready. Cyclonia would pay.


	29. Chapter 29

Aerrow walked over to the tiny mound that jutted softly from the ground. He knelt down and gently brushed the dirt with his gloved hand.

"Hey, Starling...How's it going, up there? Lucky you. And you get to fly every day, I bet. Just wanted to let you know that everything down here is going well, but it would be better with you here. You'd be proud. Everyone's here, all our friends, everyone but the Interceptors. We miss you, all of us. Especially Piper. I, uh, I brought a gift for you," Aerrow said, pulling out Starling's purple nun chucks. He set them down in the dirt and stood. He blinked back his tears and gave her a salute.

"Aerrow?"

"Hey, Piper," Aerrow said, turning. Piper gave a sweet smile. Aerrow put his arm around her.

"She's resting now. She's asleep."

"I know."

* * *

Maverick walked down the road and towards the waiting Condor. Most of the other cruisers were already on and waiting; squadrons had boarded and were awaiting Aerrow's command. Maverick was to ride on the Condor.

Aerrow and Piper's bobbing heads appeared in the distance. Maverick waved, and they waved back. The three walked together to the Condor and boarded. Aerrow got on the radio.

"We ready?" he asked. All channels came in with the same response:

"You bet!"

* * *

Cyclonia's darkening skies mirrored themselves in the Dark Ace's eyes as he flew back.

Success.

None of the squadrons were anywhere to be seen. The terras had been defenseless. Atmos would crumble like dry cement.

And yet...Repton. And they had lost Atmosia. But at least that bloody Interceptor was dead. She'd been a little splinter that Repton had finally finished off for Cyclonia. Dealings with the Murk Raiders had been near impossible, mostly because they were hard to locate. Three Cyclonian envoys...THREE...had been sent to Terra Deep to look for them. All three had never come back.

Ravess was acting extremely jittery; she and Repton had never been close, but the sharpshooter hated breaking bad news. Then again, Cyl might not even consider Repton's capture as a particularly BIG problem. Losing Atmosia...that was different.

Dark Ace landed first, the wings on his new Switchblade drawing in neatly. He dismounted and walked silently into the palace, Ravess and Snipe following in his wake. The darkness parted as the trio walked down the silent hallways and to the throne room. They walked in and bowed, hands over their hearts. But when they looked up, Cyclonis wasn't there. Dark Ace looked around.

"Where is she?" he barked at one of the guards. The guard shrugged. Dark Ace growled and started to think.

Of course.

He left without a word to either Ravess or Snipe. They stood there, flabbergasted, as Dark Ace stormed out of the room and back down the hallway, cursing under his breath.

* * *

Cyl let her feet dangle over the edge of the cliff. This was her favorite spot, now. She liked coming here to watch and see if the stars would force themselves through the grog and pollution. Obviously they weren't coming out tonight.

The door behind her opened. She stood and staggered forward.

"Ace."

"Cyl, what was the meaning of running off here and worrying all of us SICK?"

"All of you?"

"Alright, ME. Worrying ME sick. Happy now?" he said.

"Yes. I have a surprise."

"And what would that be?"

"The pictures. Here," she said. She held out the transparent sheets. "X-ray Crystals. Been working on them. They are good for something." Dark Ace took the sheets and smiled. The little face was visible. He couldn't believe she'd been working so hard lately, just to see their son.

He couldn't help it, but he swore something inside crumpled. Cyl was smiling.

"It almost makes it worth it," he said.

"Losing Atmosia, you mean?" Cyl remarked. He looked up from the images.

"How did y--"

"There is a thing called a RADIO. And thank God Repton got captured, I was hoping to get rid of that scaly pest sometime soon."

"Are you alright? A few months ago, you'd have torn me apart."

"A few months ago, I wasn't pregnant."

Dark Ace looked down on the pictures again. The most amazing thing he'd ever seen. To think that half of that little person was him. He hoped the boy would look like Cyl, though. She was so much more...elegant. He brushed a gloved hand over the paper, tracing the tiny lines. Cyl walked over and kissed him on the lips, shocking him to the point of nearly dropping the pictures.

"I would say this is my lucky cliff," he muttered when she finally pulled back. She merely shrugged and walked back inside.

* * *

Aerrow was standing on the roof of the Condor. Night had fallen. They wouldn't arrive at Cyclonia until the next day.

The Rebel Ducks had joined them along the way, and their commander, Jean Valjean, was talking to Piper about their role in the attack. It wouldn't be easy, coordinating the strike. The Firebolts had been distributed as evenly as possible. Aerrow was remotely disappointed that a few squadrons had refused any part in this: The already conquered White Eagles had been too scared, the Avengers unable to be contacted, and the Murk Raiders...well, no one knew which side they were on anyways.

Aerrow and his Storm Hawks had been pronounced leader, against the fifteen-year-olds will. Finn, rather then lapping up the attention, was spending a lot of time with Dove. The two really had something going on.

Wren and Dove were also staying on the Condor, which was overflowing with people. Stork was constantly complaining, because the Amazonian girl hadn't left, and she was still lending a hand here and there. But everyone could tell that Stork secretly didn't mind.

Maverick wandered outside and sat down next to Aerrow.

"Hey, Maverick, you're not still hurt about Piper, are you?" Aerrow asked. Maverick gave a casual wave.

"Nah, she works better with you anyways. So, how close are we?"

"Still have a while. We'll arrive in the morning. The Rebel Ducks and a few other squadrons are leading the attack; we'll stay behind."

"Do we have to?" Maverick said. Aerrow chuckled; he saw so much of himself in this grey-eyed youth.

"You can go with the others if you want. But I need you here, man."

"Fine. I'll stay here. What do I do?"

"You go out with us and fight. Just don't get killed, and one other thing..."

"What?"

"The Dark Ace is mine."

"Got it. Oh, and the Raptor? What about him? We just leave him on the ship?"

In all the excitement, Aerrow had forgotten about Repton. He shrugged. "I guess we could just drop him off in the Wastelands."

"APPROACHING THE BORDER!" the intercom blared. "CYCLONIA IS ONLY ABOUT FIVE HOURS AWAY! BORDER PATROL WILL BE PRESENT! STAY ON GUARD! DOOM WILL FOLLOW IF WE ARE OFF GUARD!"

"I better go check on Stork," Aerrow said. They were so close, he could taste it. The skies above turned from deep blue to blazing red. The stars faded. They were in Cyclonia, and the attack had begun.

* * *

**Ooh, tune in later for the FINAL BATTLE.  
**


	30. Chapter 30

The Dark Ace woke up in the morning to the alarms.

"Damn it," he muttered. He dressed quickly and put on his armor. His hand reached out for his wings when the door opened.

"IT'S AN ARMY! EVERY SQUADRON IN THE ATMOS!" the Talon shouted. The Dark Ace forgot all about his jet wings and ran out the door, grabbing his sword instead. It was Cyl he thought about now. Knocking aside every Talon and commander that crossed his path, he stormed into the throne room. Cyl was grabbing her crystal staff and racing for the door. Dark Ace grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?"

"To fight! I will NOT stand here and let them blast my palace!" she snarled. "Let go!"

"NO! I won't let you endanger yourself or our CHILD!" he barked. She did something that utterly surprised him. Cyclonis kicked him in the shin and blasted him with her crystal. He felt the electric charge constrict him and cried out in pain.

"Don't you DARE contradict me. Now go and get your skimmer." She raced out the door. Dark Ace stood and sadly realized that perhaps she loved something a lot more than the child...or him.

* * *

The Cyclonian palace filled the periscopes of thousands of cruisers as the Atmosian force approached. Immediately, skimmers and bright red blasts burst from the Cyclonian terras. Aerrow and Maverick ran to the hanger bay. Finn and Junko were arming their own rides.

"WRENCH! Somebody, gimme a wrench!" Junko shouted. Dove was boarding her own ride. The Condor jolted with every shot. Piper came running. Aerrow hugged her close, and she hugged him back.

"Be careful out there," she whispered. He nodded and jumped into the seat. Radarr boarded alongside his friend. Aerrow took out his energy blades and pointed at the open sky, a grin on his face.

"Storm Hawks, let's fly!"

So, with a whoop, a holler, and a whole lot of weapons, the Storm Hawks took to the air once more, uncertain as to whether or not they would return.

* * *

Dark Ace found his skimmer and took off, his eyes searching for the Condor. It was nowhere to be seen. He slashed through the tiny squadrons, leaving nothing but burnt metal and rubber. The Rebel Ducks, Absolute Zeros, all of his old enemies were here. He fired into their formations, blasting one after another from the skies. He had his sights on Suzy Lu when his skimmer was rocked with a blow.

"HEY! Over 'ere," Dove shouted. He gave chase, letting her drag him through the fight. She led him around a terra, and it wasn't until then that he realized it was a trap. There, hiding under the rocks, were the Storm Hawks. All of them.

"Crap," he muttered. They dove after him, Dove chuckling softly.

Aerrow pushed his skimmer forward and looped around the Dark Ace.

"Radarr, take the controls," he told his friend. The Sky Knight leapt forward and landed on the Dark Ace's skimmer. The Dark Ace stood and sneered. Once again, red and blue clashed under the Cyclonian sky.

Piper was scanning the battlefield when a purple charge tore off the blade on her Heliscooter.

"AHHHH!" she shrieked. She jumped from the falling skimmer and landed on a tiny side terra. She looked up and saw her attacker.

"Cyclonis?"

"Hello, Piper."

Cyclonis walked forward slowly, her round stomach the only proof Piper needed for the Storm Hawk to realize that Cyclonis was not in a normal state.

"What...who...eew."

"So nice to see you again..." Cyclonis chuckled, before firing a blast at Piper. Piper nimble rolled to one side and fired back, her blue charge narrowly missing Cyclonis. The two women clashed.

Finn and Snipe were having a little game of hide-and-seek. Finn kept on dodging and slipping away from Snipe's mace.

"That all you go-" Finn shouted. He was cut off by a searing sensation on his cheek. He pressed a hand to his face, and when he pulled back, hot blood was dripping from his fingers. He looked up and saw Ravess, loading up another arrow. Finn screamed and flew in the opposite direction.

Junko had activated his knuckle busters and was having a good time with a few Cyclonian Talons. They found themselves on the ball end of a rather nasty game of catch...

Aerrow and the Dark Ace fought on, the Talon commander slashing mercilessly at the youth. Ravess suddenly flew their way and aimed. Aerrow dodged, and Dark Ace took the opportunity to kick him off the skimmer. Aerrow landed. The Dark Ace sat down on his own skimmer and let out a breath.

_Why do I feel so tense? Just kill him, don't keep on beating around the murdering bush...But it doesn't feel right, not after what he did... _Aerrow was pulling his skimmer away when another of Ravess's well aimed arrows tore through his skimmer. Aerrow started to fall, Radarr shrieking all the way.

"Dang it!" Aerrow shouted, as the terra below got closer and closer...


	31. Chapter 31

The Dark Ace found himself shouting out as Aerrow fell.

"No!" he barked. The Talons assumed he had wanted to kill the Sky Knight himself, and resumed the fighting. The Storm Hawks paused in horror as Aerrow's skimmer plummeted towards the tiny terra below. Piper screamed.

The Dark Ace refused to move. His sword was still bracketed on his back, turned off. He sat there, gawking, until Master Cyclonis looked up from her duel with Piper.

"Dark Ace, finish the job!" she shouted. He reluctantly dove down and landed as Aerrow crashed. The red head pulled himself out from the wreckage to meet his enemy. But the Dark Ace just stood there.

Piper screamed again, dodging Cyclonis's blows. "Aerrow!" she howled. "NO!"

Aerrow looked up, his arm bleeding. The Dark Ace slowly drew out his sword. But no red light enveloped the blade, and no blast came. The man just stood there.

"You love her?" he whispered finally, gesturing towards Piper. Aerrow nodded, unsure as to where this conversation was going. The Dark Ace grunted and turned on his sword. Aerrow closed his eyes and waited to die.

The Dark Ace was thinking.

He'd been in this situation before--a year ago, on Terra Atmosia. That time, he'd allowed Aerrow to live out of good humor. But this time…

If Aerrow survived, then the war would drag on. Countless more deaths. If he died, Cyclonia would win. And Dark Ace would slide into some empty throne. He'd also slide completely into evil.

Did he want to become a monster? Was he already a monster? Could he still redeem himself?

_The stars are the only ones who can testify your every action, other than yourself, and they aren't talking, _he remembered Aerrow saying. The kid had been right.

So he turned off the blade, leapt onto his skimmer, and flew towards his master. To explain.

That was when it happened.

Cyclonis was screaming at him, obviously, and the Talons were closing in on Aerrow for the kill. Dark Ace was shouting back at his master when a cannon, they never found out which one, blasted a red hot ball of energy into the air. It hit the Dark Ace's skimmer, and sent it into a spiral. Cyclonis whammed Piper aside and raced to the cliff side.

"No!" she screamed. Dark Ace reached up to grab her, but their fingertips only grazed each other. He plummeted into the clouds. He didn't even scream. No wings, no parachute.

Aerrow stood in horror. He was really gone this time.

Cyclonis was lying there, on the cliff edge, her thin frame quivering. Ravess swooped over and plucked the shocked girl from her precarious situation. The Talons retreated. The carriers swooped forward, bombarding the Cyclonian terra. But with no opposition, the palace crumbled, and the people parachuted their way into the Wastelands.

Three days of bombardment, three days of siege, and finally, a tired white flag unfurled in the breeze. The Cyclonians had surrendered.

It was finally over.

No one knew what became of Cyclonis. Some said she escaped to the Wastelands and had her baby, and was nursing revenge in a survivor's camp. Some said she died during the attack. Some said she pined away for her lover. But everyone agreed that she would never attempt an attack on Atmos again.

* * *

Aerrow stood on the landing strip of the Condor, his red hair ruffling in the wind. The victory they had won was stunning. There had been parties, and celebrations, and medals.

But the loss was stunning as well.

The Rex Guardians were no more. The Absolute Zeros had lost Billy Rex, and three other members. The Screaming Queens, out of action. Wren, the crazy old man of the Terra Gale resistance was dead. Dove was heavily injured.

And Starling was gone.

Amazingly, all the Storm Hawks were alive. Piper had no wounds at all, Stork, just shaken, Junko, a few bruises, and Finn, a permanent scar across his cheek. Aerrow had escaped with a sliced up arm and a broken ankle. Radarr was alive and safe, as always.

It seemed like life had taken a strange turn for the worse. The parties had taken second stage. There was an emptiness that the Storm Hawks knew about, but they never spoke of it. It was, as the Amazonians said, MOKITA. The unspoken truth of loss, of life, and of love.

There was no longer a need for the Storm Hawks. They had no terra to defend, no more team to live with. No more battles. Disbandment hung in the air.

It was over, the entire thing, and the hollow feelings inside everyone made every conversation strained. Especially between Aerrow and Piper.

Life was waiting. There was a whole new world out there.

Aerrow held a letter in his hand. He kept glancing at it. The sun was sliding away, but he wanted to stay outside, just for a while longer. He fingered the heavy bronze medal on his chest, and grimaced. Harrier, Starling, Wren, all the dead, they deserved that medal. Not him.

There was a quiet cough from behind. It was Piper.

"Hey."

"Hey." He turned and gave a tired smile.

"How are you?"

"Ankle still hurts, but I'm fine, really."

"Aerrow, you know I didn't come up here to talk about your ankle, no matter how much pain you might be in," she said. The last part she had added hastily when he'd given a pained wince.

"Piper, I have something to tell you…"

"And I have something to tell you."

"You first."

"Well," the navigator began. "I've been offered a job at Terra Atmosia. In their crystal labs. And Aerrow, I think I'm going to take it. And I want you to come with me."

Aerrow chuckled, but it was an empty chuckle. A melancholy chuckle.

"I got an offer too. Here," he said. He handed Piper the letter. She looked down onto the white paper.

_ Dear Sir,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that the prestigious Sky Knight Academy has requested your skills as a fighter and pilot. We require new trainers very often, and you fit the criteria as a weapons and tactics instructor._

_ We anxiously await your reply. Please send your letter before the end of the week. Thank you for your time._

_ Headmaster John F. Fright_

"Oh, Aerrow," Piper breathed.

"Yup. And I want the job. You don't know how much I enjoyed the stay at the Talon Academy; it was like I was home again. I want to teach."

"But the academy is…"

"Nowhere near Terra Atmosia, I know."

"So what do we do?" Piper said. He reached out and grabbed her hand.

"We do what you said: We move on. Don't wait."

"You'll write, won't you?" she asked.

"Of course. And Piper, remember that you'll always be the one for me. Don't you dare forget that."

"I won't."

Aerrow was ready to fall into her eyes, when Finn came barging in.

"Dudes, Dove and I are hooking up!" he shouted. Aerrow and Piper looked up, smiling. Finn was jubilant. "I actually have a GIRLFRIEND!" the blonde shouted.

"Wow," Piper said sarcastically. "Someone was finally stupid enough."

"Are you calling me ztupid?" a light voice said. Dove appeared on the landing strip. Piper squealed.

"Oh, Dove, you're up!"

"Yez, those Cyclonian swine dogz cannot keep me down forever," the dark haired girl said. She stumbled; Finn caught her and gave her a comforting smile.

"You okay?" the blonde said, and lovingly escorted Dove inside again. Piper and Aerrow had shocked looks on their faces.

"Well," Piper said, smiling. "We should've gotten him a girl a long time ago." Aerrow didn't say anything; he had gripped her hand again. She turned and smiled at him. Her face looked heavenly in the dim light.

"What were we talking about again?" she asked.

"Never forgetting."

"Oh, yeah. And you won't, will you?" she said, pressing herself against him.

"Never." It was a promise.

* * *

**Well, nothing left but the epilogue now. GO! READ!  
**


	32. Chapter 32

**Epilogue**

The sky was bright red, the sun low, when Aerrow climbed the steps of the Condor for the last time. The entire team had gathered on the landing strip to wish him good luck. And to say goodbye.

Radarr was coming with Aerrow, obviously, but everyone else was going their own way. Aerrow had to gulp back tears as the group came forward and smiled. The time they had spent together was a time no one would forget.

"I'm gonna miss you, Junko," Aerrow said, hugging the giant Wallop. Junko brushed away a tear and smiled.

"I'm going back to Terra Wallop. Gonna become a mechanic," Junko said brightly. Finn was crying; he and Junko had become extremely good friends.

"And you, Finn?"

"Terra Gale, with Dove," Finn said affectionately. Said girl had gone home to make funeral arrangements for her grandfather.

"Stork!" Aerrow exclaimed. The pilot stepped forward. The redhead reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver key. It glinted in the red light. Stork looked ready to cry.

"Is that…the key to the Condor?" the Merb said, his voice breaking.

"She's all yours, man," Aerrow said. Stork took the keys, then lunged forward and gave his ex-commanding officer a hug, a purr stirring in the depths of a green throat.

"Overkill," Finn said, but the blonde was smiling.

And finally, to Piper.

She was already waiting by Aerrow's skimmer. A beautiful smile played on her lips. She had on civilian clothes, and looked absolutely wonderful. Aerrow wished he could kiss her one more time, but it would be too painful a memory. So he satisfied the urge with a hug.

Piper pulled away and reached into her pocket. Her necklace dangled on her thin finger. She held it out to him.

"Piper, that's your mother's necklace, I can't take that!" Aerrow said.

"Take it. I want you to have it." She pressed the blue stone into the palm of his calloused hand. He smiled sadly and put it in his pocket.

"I'll miss you," he whispered. "I love you."

"I know." Tears were building up in their eyes; green and orange watered.

Hugs were abundant. Aerrow slid into the seat of his convertable, and Radarr settled into the side-car. He waved. Piper smiled. Aerrow felt for his swords, safely strapped to his back.

It really was goodbye.

Aerrow revved the engine, and streaked forward. The wings sprang out, the wheels retracted, and his skimmer took to the air. He turned. The Condor faded, and so did the crying, laughing faces of his friends.

Atmos was still.

The sun set, and a lone Sky Knight rode into the night. He looked up, staring at the many pinpricks of light dotting the sky. Radarr chirped, as if asking a question. Aerrow turned to his friend and answered.

"The stars, buddy. Stars."

* * *

**It's over! NOOOOOO! Wail! But there will be a sequel...unless you don't review. I want fifteen, fifteen reviews. And I want them from different people. Or PM me. Check out my profile for a summary...of the maybe-next story. She's done. Aerrow and Piper can't be together...yet. So review if you want the next segment.  
**


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